The Illusionist
by Wellingtonboots
Summary: PostESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett
1. Prologue

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 0. Prologue

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son,

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** home page

**Summary:** Post-ESB. With the rebellion perilously close to extermination, Han frozen in carbonite, and the emergence of a mysterious, sinister order, Luke is thrown into a tornado of political intrigue andmenacing underworlds as he starts to doubt the truth of his lineage.

**AN:** My first Star Wars piece, please be nice...do tell me if I've got something wrong. If you want to read about Luke move onto Chapter 1.

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**Prologue**

Blood poured onto the worn flagstones and seeped into the cracks forming straight red ribbons of smooth viscous liquid. The world seemed stilled by the spectacle, drawn faces peeked out of narrow windows; weary pedestrians huddled in doorways with their faces turned away from the scene.

More blood seeped out from between shaking white fingers, splattering the pavement with more rounded dots. The wild vicious birds shrieked and flew from their roosts as if complimenting the drama below. Several bolder ones circled overhead as if anticipating more excitement, and blood.

Storm clouds were conspicuously absent from the sky, a rare sight in Prakith City. The sun shone dimly through the thick atmosphere, giving an illusion of approaching dusk.

Slowly they closed in, stepping forwards purposefully yet with a hesitation that betrayed their weariness. The ribbons of red had spread beyond the circle as if it too was trying to flee the inevitable. However the circle had been formed and in every direction was a blue robe and matching zucchetto. They move in perfect unison as if the scene was some part of a well-rehearsed play.

Even before they reached him, Ferus Olin knew the end was here. Detachment was an essential part Jedi philosophy and detachment from ones death seemed almost the correct way to embrace it. He closed his eyes, the drone of the wind increased until it drowned out the shrieks of the birds and the mutterings of the witnesses. The populace should not have been exposed to this, but he had not planned to dies here, on a foreign planet far from home. The eroded off-white walls and characterless streets that he had so despised when he first set foot on the planet seemed almost calming in their regularity.

"Come with us Olin," the voice floated on the wind but it was too faint to have an effect…

"Come with us, we will show you the true meaning of the force," What fragment of humour he had left in his broken soul rallied at the words. _Meaning of the Force?_ _That was a new one…_

Whether the captor's desperation translated into their pleas seemed inconsequential. The man was already on the verge of death; reasoning would be wasted on him. The only regret was that they had not been able to retrieve much information from him.

Halmere drew his light sabre. It seemed appropriate. The populace would want to see the death of a Jedi and he was never one to defile expectation.

A sizzling clash and the body crumpled silently onto the pavement. Sharp, callous shrieks resounded overhead and the birds congregated en masse on the nearby trees, watching hungrily from the shadowy foliage.

Slowly, reluctantly the stunned pedestrians drew from their huddles as if venturing out into an unknown world. Small whirls of dust and crispy dead leaves whipped through the barren square, appearing and disappearing at whim.

The blood was drying, as if the life force had been leeched from it by death. Dark stains marred the flagstones, marking where the Jedi had fought and died.

The Inquisitors holster their weapons, with grim determination. A Jedi had been slain but there were many others out there. This was the beginning and not the end.

A Jedi had been slain…the Emperor would be pleased.

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**AN:** Now move onto the real story...and please review... 


	2. Revelations

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 1. Revelations

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son,

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** home page

**Summary:** Post-ESB. With the rebellion perilously close to extermination, Han frozen in carbonite, and the emergence of a mysterious, sinister order, Luke is thrown into a tornado of political intrigue and menacing underworlds as he starts to doubt the truth of his lineage.

**AN:** My first Star wars fic, go easy on me. Shameless father son story with Inquisitors, Prince Xizor and Dash Rendar thrown into the mix. Please Review!

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**Revelations**

The Citadel Inquistorium was situated on the Sa'gih Pass, perilously close to the wild country. However its occupants had no fear of the elements, such was their power that nature in all its glory could not drive them from their rightful place.

The Citadel was aptly named in that it resembled the grandiose architecture of the Imperial Palace rather than the traditional Parkith style of unimaginative square blocks studded with narrow concave windows. It had been designed with the might of the Empire in mind and the architect, recently deceased, studiously incorporated all the main fear imposing tactics of Imperial buildings. The building and all its various extensions were built of pure black granite, no doubt obtained from classified sources. Two huge spires pierced the skyline on either side of the central dome, like the spinnerets of a mosque.

Not many ever beheld the great building and those that did rarely lived to tell of it. The physical environment complemented the dark foreboding appearance; green-grey mountains rose out of the crust like jagged teeth and the howling wind carried the screams far into the wild country.

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Luke Skywalker had rarely been so frustrated in his life. Even Uncle Owen's infamous unfixable moisture vapours had never managed to cause so much ire. Anger was not the Jedi way but right now, Luke could not see how containing his fury was at all possible.

The pathetic excuse for a flight worthy ship lay limply in the hangar, totally unresponsive to anything Luke and R2 had tried over the past several hours.

"Master Luke, May I interest you in some nutritional sustenance?" inquired C3PO's perfect basic. R2 beeped with such a severe irritation that even Luke could not match it.

"Well I am only offering my considerable services to Master Luke. You seem to be getting in the way…"

"Listen CPO," snapped Luke as he withdrew his gloved hand from the tangled nest of fried wires, "just stay outside and inform the others I don't want to be disturbed."

The golden protocol droid seemed rather abashed but retreated quietly as per his control circuits leaving Luke and R2 to stew in peace.

The rebel alliance was running short of X wings. In reality they had always been short of snub fighters but right now there seemed to be a crisis. The Empire was stepping up its campaign against the Alliance, hoping to finally eliminate them once and for all.

The Emperor must be growing impatient and Vader…well Luke would rather not think what Vader wanted. He had tried to think about _him_ as little as possible. The initial trauma had started to subside but the conflicting emotions still stayed with him like a terrible weight on his soul. It drained his

However Luke did have too much time to dwell on his troubled thoughts these days. When he was not flying missions, which was the majority of the time, he spent his hours patching up the skeleton wrecks of the remaining X-Wings. One of the few advantages of the job meant that he did not have to socialize any more. Ever since that fateful night he had felt tainted and alone. _Sithspawn_! That was what he was and he simply wasn't fit to socialise with the others. His time as the innocent Farmboy hero had come to an end.

The rebel base had recently moved to Yuifar, a remote but otherwise habitable moon in the Outer Rim. The move had been a risky one but none the less successful, the Empire had yet to rear its ugly in this stagnant part of the galaxy. Not that the favourable conditions would last, High Command was already planning another move, according to rumours, but had not seen to inform the Rogue Squads of the exact details. This development, under normal circumstance, would have raised a few eyebrows but there had been so many extraordinary things happening that the Rogues had almost become immune to surprise.

Peace and quiet were rare commodities in the rebellion, for only five minutes after C3PO's departure another ill mannered intruder entered the hangar, though with less dignity.

"Commander Luke, are you in there?" inquired Jun Mahoney, a recent transfer and a definite rooky. "The Princess wants me to tell you that she wants to see you," added Jun importantly and Luke saw the young man, barely out of his teens, standing nervously behind a crate of soldering material.

"Tell, Leia that I'm busy," said Luke curtly and instantly regretted his sharp tone of voice. However the rookie did not seem to be discouraged,

"She told me you would say that, and she told me to tell you that if you want Han back you'd better pull yourself together," he declared proudly. Luke saw just short of taking back his previous sense of regret but the full meaning of the words slowly penetrated his irritable mind.

"Has she found a lead?" demanded Luke climbing out from under the X-Wing.

"She said that you'll have to talk to her yourself," replied the younger pilot as he stepped out from behind the crate. "Personally Commander Luke, I think that it's not very healthy to spend all your time in the hangar without any company," he added rather boldly.

Luke desperately want to tell Mahoney to stop calling his Commander Luke, he wasn't that much of a commander, and even if he was he would rather be called "Commander Skywalker". Suddenly a flash of memory echoed through his mind,

"_What was the name of that clone wars commander again?" hissed Biggs out of the corner of his mouth,_

"_Commander Skywalker," whispered Luke, "like me." _

Biggs had snorted so loudly that day, the teacher had made both of them stand outside in the sun during the lunch break but Luke had not been deterred. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he was related to Commander Skywalker, The Hero with No Fear and Jedi Knight. His dream had come true when Ben Kenobi gave him "his father's" light sabre only to be shattered on Bespin by those few terrible words.

"Commander Luke, are you alright?" asked Mahoney looking concerned and slightly bewildered. Luke snapped back to reality.

"I'm fine, thanks, and just call me Luke," muttered Luke. "I'll see Leia, but not now, just tell her I'll see her soon."

"I can't do that Commander Luke," protested Mahoney with righteous indignation. "The Princess said…"

"Alright," muttered Luke and jammed the spare parts he was still holding into his pockets. "Keep working R2."

Luke had long since given up arguing with Leia, she could easily be ten times more stubborn than he was. Besides, he had to berate himself for not seeing her sooner. Leia had also suffered on Bespin.

Mahoney was thankfully silent during their trip to Leia's quarters at the other end of the compound. The door com peeped in a tone that Luke did not recognize and the door slide open with a most horrible grating noise. Mahoney smiled apologetically and stepped aside to allow Luke into the room. However he did not leave as Luke had assumed he would, instead he stumbled in after Luke, having tripped on the threshold.

"Master Luke, I'm so happy to see you," gushed C3PO with as much emotion as a protocol droid could.

"I just saw you five minutes ago," said Luke feeling bemused.

"Oh, no Master Luke, I am glad for Princess Leia, she ahs not been feeling herself lately and I was beginning to worry…"

"It's alright C3PO, I'm not dying!" shouted Leia's indignantly from the bedroom.

"Leia, you wanted to see me," shouted Luke; unsure of whether he should approach the bedroom.

"Just come in, I'm…a bit under the weather," said Leia and the doors to her personal room slid open rather less noisily. She was not visible however, which meant that Luke would have to go to her. Through his connection with the force he could feel Mahoney behind him casually admiring C3PO.

"Princess Leia would like to thank you for doing such a good job, Jun Mahoney," said C3PO politely.

"Oh…" muttered Mahoney clearly hoping for some personal praise from the princess. "I'll go now," he strode awkwardly towards the front door and ended up sprawled in the hallway after tripping over the threshold.

Luke torn between helping Mahoney and tending to Leia, decided on the former but before he could offer any words of comfort the young pilot had already fled the scene.

"His coordination is somewhat below the norm, Master Luke," commented C3PO and shuffled over to the coffee table to tidy up what looked like several days worth of coffee mugs.

"Luke?" came Leia's voice, "are you still there?"

"I'm coming Leia," said Luke dutifully and walked into the bedroom, only to reel back in shock. Princess Leia, the headstrong, courageous leader of the rebellion was lying in bed under several layers of thermal blankets. "Leia, are you sick?" cried Luke feeling instantly distressed. He had never seen Leia look so vulnerable in all his time in his company.

"I'm fine Luke, don't over react, you're beginning to sound like 3PO. I've just got a slight stomach ache that's all," she assured him and patted a spot on the bed. There was no other furniture in the room apart from the built in storage compartments that looked like they didn't work.

"Leia, you could be reacting adversely to the effects of this new planet. You have to inform the medics, it could be serious!" insisted Luke, feeling the panic rising in his throat. He had already lost Han, he didn't want to lose Leia as well.

"Luke, listen, this happens to me all the time!" said Leia with equal ferocity. "I wouldn't have called you if I had a choice but right now I don't so…"

"It's happened before? Why have you never told me?" demanded Luke.

"Listen, farm boy," snapped Leia her limited amount of patience wasted, "it happens to every girl once a month on a regular basis." The information sunk in and Luke found himself blushing with embarrassment but somehow the explanation sounded wrong.

"I…well…never mind," muttered Luke.

"Doesn't matter, I needed to get you out of that horrible hangar. You've been so very distant, Luke."

"I've been busy. We're short on supplies, I've got to make the resources last for as long as possible," muttered Luke still feeling mortified.

"Luke, I need to ask you now…what happened between you and Vader," she stared right at him and for a split second he felt as if she was looking right through his defences. He was stunned, shocked, he simply wasn't ready to say _that_ out loud.

"I…"

"Luke I understand that it is very traumatic but there have been some wild rumours floating around about you…"

"What!" Luke reared back off the bed as if a nexu had attacked him. "What have they been saying!" Could someone have found out, how was it possible! Only two other people knew about _that_, one was dead and the other was an Imperial.

"Luke, calm down. What has happened to you? Ever since…you've changed so much," said Leia. "I've been so worried about you, Luke."

"I've been worried about you too, Leia, but I promise you we will get Han back."

"Says you, who has been spending all his time tinkering with rubbish," muttered Leia disapprovingly and Luke instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had let his own abused emotions prevent him from looking after the people were important to him.

"I'm sorry, Leia, I've just been so confused lately…" he realised the words were badly chosen even before they resounded through the room.

"Confused! Luke what have you got to be confused about? Don't tell me, Vader tried to recruit you! Of course why wouldn't he, that evil, murderous monster! What did he say to you? You can't honestly have taken him seriously! I bet he's been trained in the art of manipulation, maybe he even used one of those mind tricks on you!"

"Leia," said Luke feeling alarmed at the depth of feeling in her rant. "He didn't do anything of the sort…" _or did he?_

Luke knew that Vader was force sensitive; Ben always made it very clear the extraordinary extent of Vader's force abilities. Luke had witnessed the tremendous power for himself as he tried to duel with the Dark Lord. Although he was sure he had not been treated to the real power of Darth Vader, the Sith had only been toying with him back then.

Luke was too untrained to recognize a "sophisticated" mind trick, if such a thing should exist. However he was quite sure that Vader could control even the strongest of minds and possibly without his victims even knowing.

Suddenly a small but bright ray of hope shone into the dark recesses of his troubled mind. If Vader _had_ been using a mind trick…if he _had_ influenced Luke's mind…then _it_ might not be true!

_Search you're feelings, you know it to be true…_

Of course he had felt the truth rip through the force like a tidal wave but _what if_ Vader had orchestrated the whole set-up to turn Luke to the Dark Side by pretending to be his father?

A surge of elation washed over Luke's being, a small hope of freedom sparked what life was left in him and drowned out the small but insistent voice in the back of his mind. He was free… free to pursue his dreams, free to fight for freedom and justice without feeling like a hypocrite, free to just be Luke Skywalker again.

"Luke, are you alright!" Leia's shrill voice pulled him back to the present like a tractor beam.

"I'm…fine," muttered Luke, his mind still reeling from the possibilities. Now the more he thought about it the more his conclusion seemed to make sense. Why should he believe the word of a merciless killer over the words of wise old master Yoda, or Ben Kenobi who watched over him all these years?

"Luke? Luke? Have you been listening to a word I've said?" demanded Leia, waving her hands in front of his eyes.

"Yes…yes. Listen Leia, I…I need to some time alone to rethink some…stuff," said Luke as he tried to calm his erratic heart beat.

"But you just got here," said Leia, looking confused and a little…hurt?

"I know, listen Leia. I just need some privacy…I don't mean to upset you but…I'm just not ready, but I will be…" his explanation sounded lame and weak even to his own ears, but the revelations were still swirling around in his mind like a tornado, sweeping aside all feelings of inadequacy.

Leia's eyes softened somewhat, perhaps she could see some reason behind his behaviour,

"I won't pretend to agree with your method of dealing with issues, but I respect your privacy Luke," she paused rather uncertainly, "and just remember, if you ever need to talk, I'll always be here…no matter what."

Luke was moved by her sudden display of affection but it seemed somewhat insignificant in the drama being played out by his emotions. He was free! The sense of elation was exuberating and he felt like leaping for joy. However a small but insistent part of his brain gnawed at his joy and gave him a growing sense of unease.

"I see you later," said Luke and departed without looking back at the small, frail figure lying under the blankets.

C3PO followed Luke to the door and so did his incessant chatter,

"I do hope you will be alright on your own Master Luke. My circuits tell me that humans need company and R2…"

"I understand 3PO, I'll be fine," stated Luke insistently and hurried out of the door with a mental note to come back and fix the doors.

When he was finally alone in the corridor, he let out a slow sign of relief. The emotional turmoil had drained his senses and now he felt as if he could simply flop down in the middle of the hallway and stay there for all eternity.

_It's too good to be true, why did I never think of it before?_ the same thoughts bombarded his brain. His stupidity seemed blindingly obvious to him now; Luke Skywalker son of Darth Vader? Even if someone had found out, no one would believe a word of it.

"I am Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker, a hero and a Jedi," proclaimed Luke to the empty corridor and slowly but surely a grin formed on his face. To hear the truth ring out from his voice seemed to lift the once heavy burden from his shoulders.

Suddenly a presence registered in the force and Luke turned around hastily, afraid that someone might have heard him talking to himself. However as the footsteps approached he could feel that it was Lando Calrissian. The force around the man was tense, almost excited.

"Luke!" cried Calrissian once Luke was in sight range, "Luke! We've found Han!"

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**AN:** Hope you liked it please review, even if it's just to tell me my facts are wrong. If anyone likes Harry Potter, I've got too many fics on that. 


	3. Conspiracy

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 2. Conspiracy

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Inquistorius

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** home page

**Summary:** Post-ESB. With the rebellion perilously close to extermination, Han frozen in carbonite, and the emergence of a mysterious, sinister order, Luke is thrown into a tornado of political intrigue and menacing underworlds as he starts to doubt the truth of his lineage.

**Review Thanks:** Sithspawned, Carrie, DarthGladiator45, GreatOne.

**AN: I am looking for a beta reader**; if you want to volunteer just send me an email. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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During his childhood, Uncle Owen had been less than supportive of Luke's "intuition" and consequently Luke had learned to ignore the random feelings produced by his link to the force. However undoing the early years of conditioning was harder than Luke had previously thought.

When he first saw Lando hurrying down the corridor towards him, his first reaction was one of suspicion. The force had been tense and stilted, as if Lando was holding something back. However he was quick to dismiss such a strange and inappropriate feeling. Lando had saved his life while putting his own in mortal peril.

Now that he was sitting in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon two hours later, his "intuition" seemed surprisingly accurate; Lando did have something to hide.

"Luke," said Calrissian and then hesitated as if resolving an internal struggle, "there's something I gotta tell you,"

"I know Lando," Luke tried to sound calm and composed but the force was projecting feelings of doom.

"The source…he's not cheap but he's dependable. It's Han I'm more worried about…Boba Fett's got him." Calrissian finished and stared expectantly at Luke as if expecting him to react.

"We already know that," Luke felt somewhat bemused by the tentative look on his friend's face.

"Fett works for the Empire," elaborated Calrissian

"If you don't think we can take him…"

"It's not that but…can you take the Executor as well?" Calrissian sounded derisive.

"You mean to say…the information is a trap," stated Luke as calmly as possible. The force around him seemed to be seething with anticipation.

"Not necessarily, I'm just warning you that the Empire might be there…Vader might be there," the last part of the sentence was spoken in hushed tones as though Lando was afraid of provoking a wrathful spirit. "Can you handle it?"

_Can you handle it? What a blunt question,_ thought Luke but in all honesty he had felt the answer enter his mind long before he had time to consciously process the words. _Darth Vader was a murder, liar, manipulator…and not my father._ The thought did not give him so much comfort this time round.

_I must be going mad! How could Darth Vader seem anymore frightening because he is not my father? Honestly even if I was related to him what kind of preferential treatment would I get?_

Trying to shake of his sarcastic thoughts and compose his mind was harder than he thought. The annoyingly insistent minority of his brain, which seemed opposed to all logic, grated his nerves with repeated signals of unease. What was the best course of action? Go after Fett and consequently walk into any traps laid out by the Empire? Or stay at the base and stew over other possibilities for regaining Han?

The decision however did not rest with Luke for at that precise moment Leia Organa strolled confidently into the cockpit; any signs of her previous aliment had vanished.

"Are you ready, Lando?" she inquired politely. Calrissian shrugged and pointed rather accusingly at Luke, slumped in the co-pilot chair. "I thought you were flying with the Rouges, Luke."

"The Rouges?" this time he was unable conceal his surprise.

"Yes, the Rouges, they are coming to escort us," Leia's nonchalant composure did nothing to disguise her fear and anticipation in the force. She was just as concerned as he was.

"Why do we need an escort?" demanded Calrissian, looking astonished and somewhat horrified.

"Well, if it is an Imperial trap we need to be prepared don't we?" Leia inclined her head to Lando, clearly indicating that the topic was not up for debate.

"I said there was a possibility of alerting the Empire to our presence, but if you bring a whole squadron of Rouges, we'll be done for sure!"

"If you have any objections, please direct them to Wedge, he volunteered. Who was I to refuse?" The strain in Leia's voice was audible even without any perception in the force. "We don't have much more time to waste arguing, Fett could easy elude us."

Lando did not look pleased with the situation and retreated into the body of the ship muttering darkly about impending doom. Luke could not find the energy to stir from his seat and instead settled for looking at Leia. Her confident composure disappeared instantly after Lando's departure.

The past few weeks had taken more of a toll on the princess than Luke had previously perceived, being wrapped up in his own problems. Her eyes seemed blank and devoid of the fierce passion that he had first seen on the Death Star. Lines, previously faint, had grown in strength and her face seemed to age abruptly. Her shoulders slumped and her head fell forwards, a regal picture of dejection.

"Leia…" he began but she did not respond. "Leia, we'll get Han back,"

"Lando didn't tell you the whole story did he?" said Leia slowly, deliberating every word.

"What?" Luke felt confused; he had sensed some concealment from Lando but nothing…serious.

"I suppose Dash Rendar didn't tell him either," muttered Leia more to herself than her companion.

"Dash Rendar? Isn't he an old friend of Han's?" Luke struggled to conjure up a picture from his memory.

"Yes, they were at the Academy together and then they both became smugglers in the outer rim," Leia could not keep the weariness out of her voice but even with the conversation established she did not turn to look at Luke.

"Did Lando buy the information off Rendar –," Luke was cut off by a sigh from Leia.

"Listen, Luke," she took a deep breath and suddenly alarm bells reverberated through the force, shaking Luke's already fragmented mind. "Dash thinks that -,"

"What does he think!" demanded Luke, the cold feeling of dread prickled his skin.

"He thinks…he knows…he knows the Empire is using Han as bait," finished Leia and she finally turned to look at Luke, her eyes betrayed her sorrow.

"Bait?" repeated Luke, _what was so terrible about such a plot? The Imperials used it all the time._

"Bait to lure you, Luke. Darth Vader has put both a bounty and a legal reward on your head of one and a half billion credits."

The words punched through his conscious mind like bullets. One and half _billion credits_. The bounty was higher than even that of all the Alliance leaders combined. This could not just be a product of desperation; the force told him that they had barely scratched the surface. Suddenly a horrible sensation over took his mind: _was he wanted dead or alive? _Somehow he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"He wants you alive Luke," stated Leia, her voice wavering with fear.

It took several rounds of deep breathing to calm the erratic thoughts streaking across his mind. Each one burned his mind until he felt almost as exhausted has Leia looked.

"Luke, I hate to conceal anything from you…so I have to tell you this. The Rebellion is evacuating this base. Dash's news about Han was released today so that you would accompany the Rouge escort. Co-ordinates have been programmed into all the X-wings, once you hit hyperspace you will be heading for the new base."

"Why the conspiracy?" demanded Luke, confusion, betrayal, anger flashed through his heart.

"They were afraid that you would walk into the Imperial trap. They thought you were…too impulsive."

"Why did they not order and evacuation? I would have obeyed…"

"Dash's news would have reached Lando and you anyway and you would have gone gallivanting off to save Han. This way at least you can't spring the trap," Tears had started to form in Leia's eyes.

"You sound like you support the idea!" hissed Luke, a sudden rage tore through him. _How could she have concealed this from me?_

"I'm sorry, Luke, I tried to…"

Luke felt his rage bearing down on the cockpit like a tremendous sand storm. The fabric of the force was twisted and swept out in frantic cyclones.

"To what? Tell me! How could they…how could you! Does everyone here think I'm a dangerous or something!"

"Luke, people think…"

"I don't care what people think! Neither should the leaders!" cried Luke springing from his seat.

"Luke, calm down please listen to me…I know you want to save Han…"

"This whole thing was a _set up_, wasn't it? The Millennium Falcon wasn't even going to take off! You and Lando were in on this!"

"Hush…Luke, Lando doesn't know either -,"

"I bet he did! I bet -," Luke slammed his fist into the wall of the cockpit and Leia jumped up with scream. A large round dent had appeared in the metal wall.

"Luke, stop! Please _stop_. You'll hurt yourself -," pleaded Leia trying in vain to pull his arm away from the wall. "Please listen to me, we are going to rescue whether the Alliance like it or not!"

Luke froze, temporarily stunned.

"Do you really think I'm going to sit here and let Han become Imperial cannon fodder? Or some museum piece for a Hutt! I need you Luke, _I _trust you, even if you won't tell me what happened between you and Vader."

Luke panted from his previous violent use of the force and as the heat of the anger ebbed, the force around him took a cold, sinuous and bitter form. He had touched the dark side.

"Leia…how?" the two words were enough to reassure Leia that Luke was at least calm enough to listen.

"Luke, listen to me, if we are going to get Han back we have to leave _now_," implored Leia hastily wiping away the tears trickling down her cheek. "I don't like this any more than you do but rescuing Han is the most important thing."

Luke tried to clear his mind of wild and violent thoughts. Never before had his severe lack of training made him feel so vulnerable. _Ben…where are you?_ He stretched out to the force around him but there was no sign of the any disturbances apparent from the irate aura of Lando returning to the ship.

"That damn Captain won't take no for an answer," hissed Lando as he dumped a large duffle bag onto the deck.

"What happen?" Leia's mask of authority instantly slipped into place even though there were still red circles around her eyes.

"Captain Something or Other wants to delay the departure for a bit, says they haven't done all the necessary pre-flight warm ups," Lando's sour expression clearly indicated his suspicion of foul play.

"What shall we -," Luke hesitated as Leia barged past him with an air of unshakable determination.

"Luke, buckle up, you're the co-pilot. Lando move your depressed persona over here right now and notify Captain Something or Other that the Millennium Falcon is leaving right now with or without a Rouge escort!"

No matter how confused he felt at that moment, Luke couldn't help but smile. Underneath Leia's tired worn exterior shone a light so much brighter than all the stars in the galaxy. Nothing would ever change that; he would not let it happen.

"But Princess -," stutteredLando, whodid not possess an iron will and consequently found standing up to authority one of his worst fears. Caught between his inate desire to obey a higher authority and his fear of Leia's wrath, Lando fidgeted nervously as Leia bore down on him like a tempest.

"Lando Calrissian, we are going to rescue Han right now, do I make myself clear?"

If Leia did not possess such a kind and loving heart, Luke felt quite sure she would be able to carve a highly successful career in the Imperial Navy. Thankfully, Lando was a versatile man,

"Right away, your highness; I shall inform Captain Something or Other of our imminent departure. Meanwhile, we have refreshments and entertainment in the lounge. Chewbacca will be ready to serve you in just a moment,"

Leia smiled sarcastically and settled down in the only other seat available, a small ledge in the wall that disguised the service passage leading down into the bowels of the ship.

The intercom crackled to life and the spluttering voice of Captain Something or Other inquired about the nature of the call. Putting his best air of refined authority Lando spoke directly into the com,

"The Princess has ordered me to inform you of our imminent departure, her exact words being: 'the Millennium Falcon is leaving right now with or without a Rouge escort'."

Lando couldn't help but laugh at his own impersonation.

The Captain was clearly unprepared for such a message but before he had devised a successful reply, Leia reach over Lando's shoulder and switched the intercom off with an air of finality.

"Hurry up Lando, we don't have an eternity to waste sitting in this Fate forsaken hangar," and with that the Alderaan Princess breezed past them into the passenger lounge, "I shall be sampling some refreshments…"

"Ha! I love that woman," said Lando running a hand through his hair, "Gee, Luke you look worn out, man, and we haven't even started! I though you'd be flying with the Rouges."

"I…had a change of plan," muttered Luke fastening his restraints.

"I'm glad, kid, you look like you'd crash if you flew anything. Just have a good sleep, this ship great on autopilot,"

"Alright," sighed Luke and leant back into the padded leather seat. The air was hot around him and force seemed restless but he tried to ignore the discomforts.

Slowly but surely his mind retreated back into a dormant state leaving his subconscious to take over.

_He knew that he was dreaming, thankfully, because the Executor loomed ahead of him with an almost casual dominance. Somehow the scene felt natural even though it was definitely one of the most frightening, and hateful sights in the galaxy. As he drew closer to the ship he could sense the mass of lifeforms flitting about behind the huge metal hulls. There was an over all ambience of tense professionalism that was entirely absent at the Rebel base. _

_His vision seemed to transect the durasteel walls and he found himself standing on the bridge in front of three gigantic panes of curved glass that surrounded the entire room. Several bridge officers fidgeted casually with the controls on the dashboard. A higher ranking officer stood to attention next to the Admiral who looked as thoroughly relaxed as someone wearing a starched uniform could be. _

"_We have been unable to determine -," the officer hesitated has the Admiral motioned for him to be silent._

"_I know Captain, but Lord Vader is no longer interested in the Rebel Base, he wants Skywalker," _

_Perhaps the words should have shocked Luke, but his mind stayed serene, calm and watchful. _

"_Admiral, do you think the rumours are true?" asked the younger officer tentatively. He clearly trusted the Admiral for such a saying could easily cost him his life. _

"_I see they have even reached you," chucked the Admiral. "Truthfully, I don't know why Lord Vader wants to catch Skywalker but I can assure you it is a professional reason,"_

"_Yeah," said the officer smiling a little at his own stupidity, "It's hard to see Vader having any emotions, apart from anger that its," _

"_I wouldn't be too sure," said the Admiral cryptically. _

"_If you don't mind me asking Admiral Piett, should we continue to look for the Rebel Base?" _

_Piett looked affronted,_

"_Of course Captain Aral'ai, I expect it to be found within the next standard week," _

"_Yes, Admiral," replied the younger officer and hastily retreated, "I shall make it my number one priority."_

_Suddenly a harsh abrupt chime resounded through the bridge and the young officer shrank back from the door as if he could see right through it. _

"_Lord Vader is here," said one of the bridge crew and fervently returned to his work as the doors parted._

_Captain Aral'ai sprung aside as if electrocuted and pressed himself tightly against the grey steel walls, while Admiral Piett visibly tensed and stood up a little straighter, if that was at all possible. _

_The iconic harsh breathing suddenly seemed deafening loud the in the room. Loud, determined footsteps brought the Dark Lord of the Sith into view. _

_He looked almost exactly the same as he did on Bespin. However his demeanour seemed different. The force around Vader seemed weary, sluggish even, as if he did not have the will to mould the energy to his liking. _

The strange thing about dreams was that you never responded to them logically_, thought Luke as he floated beside the Admiral, _I don't think I am afraid of Vader, I don't feel any hatred or hostility,

_However it was at that moment that the Dark Lord turned in Luke's direction and their eyes locked. _

_He knew immediately that the Dark Lord had seen him, even before the Sith took a small step back in surprise. A powerful surge of the force tore through Luke's mind, surprise, fear, confusion…joy? _

It was with a start that Luke jolted out of his nightmare. The soft beeping from the dashboard told him it was midnight but the warm, homely smell of the Millennium Falcon did little to calm his nerves.

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**AN:** Not much action but there will definitely be much more in the next chapter. Also Vader finally gets his hands on his wayward son, imagine the look on his face (or lack of) when he finds out Luke doesn't believe him…hehe!

**Please Review…go on press the little button…**


	4. Tension

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 3. Tension

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Rebellion

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. With the rebellion perilously close to extermination, Han frozen in carbonite, and the emergence of a mysterious, sinister order, Luke is thrown into a tornado of political intrigue and menacing underworlds as he starts to doubt the truth of his lineage.

**Review Thanks:** DarthGladiator45, VFSNAKE, Spirit White, Fluffy, Carrie, Barbossa's Apples, Kim

Kim: Thanks for the encouraging review, I will endeavour to update this fic as frequently as possible. You didn't give a signed review so I can reply to you personally.

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**AN: I am looking for a beta reader**; if you want to volunteer just send me an email. Thanks to everyone who had reviewed! 

I am updating my webpage with this story ahead of because it takes so long for me to get the format right on my site it's better for me to do two chapters at once. **Anyway chapter 4 is up on my homepage.**

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**3. Tension**

Even the radar on the Millennium Falcon had been modified beyond recognition. It had been the standard Commerce Trade-MRK radar, with a grey screen, red lines and if you were unfortunate, red dots as well. However Chewie took delight in informing Lando that the radar had been "improved" to conform to higher standards of piloting. Thus Lando was stuck staring at a green screen without an inkling of an idea what he was supposed to look out for.

There were several dots on the screen; some rounded others more oblong in shape. The first time he had returned to the Millennium Falcon with Leia during their daring escape from Bespin, Lando had not taken much notice of the modified radar. It looked incredulous enough sitting on the dashboard blinking at regular intervals, just like any other piece of well functioning machinery should. However now he had wished he had taken more time to figure out how to use the new and "improved" version of the radar.

The dots on the screen did not signify enemy ships, he was quite sure of that because they have always been there, ever since the first time he re-laid eyes on his precious ship. The dots at times disappeared from view for several hours but always returned. The current display was not a comprehensive exhibition of all the possible dots, some were missing, most noticeably the biggest and longest dot, which looked more like a smear than a dot. It was simply labelled as "E" when it did appear on the screen. The other dots of various shapes and sizes were equally cryptic in their labels. Among them were "AV" and "IT".

The screen, as far as Lando had seen, never displayed all the possible dots at any one given time but the dots always reappeared in the exact same place they had disappeared from.

Frowning down at the radar, Lando gave the screen a few experimental knocks. The screen did not even waver and the dots continued to flash innocently.

It was every boring in the cockpit, Luke was fast asleep and Chewie was entertaining the Princess with stories of his homeland. He would have joined them if he could wake up his co-pilot, but even Lando Calrissian could not bear to rouse Luke from the deep slumber he had fallen into.

_By God, the boy needs whatever sleep he can get. I bet he hasn't slept in the past week. Whatever happened with Vader must have been real bad. Leia thinks Vader tried to recruit Luke. What utter nonsense! He's a lost cause if I ever saw one. _

I heard_ what the Dark Lord wanted. He wanted Luke alive only because he could present him to the Emperor. They were going to make a public example of the poor boy, strung him up high and let the whole galaxy see what happens to rebel traitors. _

_Leia doesn't believe that. She thinks he's _special_ or something. Luke is just an unfortunate boy caught in this bloody war. He wouldn't even be here if those heartless stormtroopers hadn't murdered his family. _

_He's a great kid and all, but he would have been happier back on Tatooine, someone else could have blown up the Death Star. _

Lost in his own thoughts Lando was surprised when Luke jerked awake with cry of anguish cry.

"No!"

"Luke, are you alright?" asked Lando looking worried and slightly scared. It took Luke several seconds to discern his surroundings and his eyes focus on Lando.

"I'm fine, just a dream," he spoke almost to himself as he clambered clumsily out of the co-pilot's chair. How long had he been asleep, his whole body ached as if he had been run a thousand klicks.

"You look like you've had a bad time," commented Lando. Luke was a aware that there were purple bags under his eyes and lines marred his usually smooth features.

"This war is taking a lot out of us all," said Luke, hoping it would satisfy Lando. Lando could be annoyingly perceptive when he wanted to. It wouldn't take long for him to figure out the truth if he caught the right thread.

"You got that one right, but what is a young innocent lad like you doing in all of this. How old are you? 20, 23?" asked Lando. It was the first time he had got the chance to ask Luke any personal questions. The small titbits of information he had gained from Leia painted a broad but not unrealistic picture of the Rebel Hero.

"22," said Luke rubbing his eyes. "There are plenty of people younger than me in the rebellion. Zevulon Veers is only 16."

"Yeah but he's a paper pusher. Look, Luke, I'm not saying you're not good at what you do. Heck, you're the best pilot in the rebellion. It's just you seem to be suffering Luke."

Luke found the comment somewhat humourous. The rebellion was not the cause of his pain, the Empire was. The rebellion was what he lived for, all those years when he felt so lost…but now it was taking a route that he did not, could not agree with.

_How could they conspire to have him removed from action? Didn't they trust him at all? He thought that plotting and politics were the hallmarks of the Empire; he had been naïve to think that conspiracy would not infiltrate the rebellion. _

_But no matter what, the rebellion was still fighting for freedom; even if there were some glitches on the way there Luke still wanted to be part of it. Besides Leia was a rebel leader and she did not agree with what they had done…perhaps with some better influence the political mechanisms could be stopped._

"The rebellion is my life, Lando, it's what I live for. I wouldn't trade anything for my position there," said Luke sternly.

"Well, kid you've just disobeyed your superiors, I dunno what they think but in the Empire you get executed for that,"

"The rebellion is _not _the Empire, that's the point. We're _different_, I'd have thought four weeks with us would have highlighted the difference," said Luke defensively, all hard feelings for the rebellion seemed to have dissolved during his disturbing dream.

Lando did not seem to be in an argumentative mood and merely shrugged.

"I'm going to check up Leia, you keep an eye on the controls,"

The cockpit was thankfully silent as Luke leaned back into the sparsely padded pilot seat to reflect privately. No matter how much Lando had endeared himself to the crew of the Millennium Falcon in the past month or so, Luke still had some reservations about him.

The disturbing dream was fading as quickly as it had begun and Luke was anxious to capture as much of it as possible in his mind's eye.

_There was a ship…an Imperial ship…lots of people…a control centre. _Beyond that the details became blurred and fused with other equally enigmatic recollections.

_An officer…no two officers…there were two officers talking…about…me!_ Luke hesitated as the memory sunk in. He had dreamt about two Imperial officers discussing his capture. Four months ago it would have sounded ludicrous but now with the infamous bounty on his head…he was a marked man.

_But what were they talking about?_ Seeking some insight from the force Luke tried to gather the energies around him just as Ben had once showed him. However the force seemed stifled in the small cockpit and unwilling to co-operate.

_It was about me, they were talking about a rumour. Perhaps even Imperials spread rumours about their superiors. _The thought was amusing to say the least, considering Darth Vader's hobby of choking insubordinate officers.

Somehow even though the pieces were gradually falling into place, Luke felt that he was missing something extremely important.

_What could it be? Two officers talking…wait there was a noise…a chime! The door opened and…_**DARTH VADER! He saw me!**

Telepathic communications between force sensitive beings was a technique that neither Ben nor Yoda had fully explained to him. However they left him in doubt that it was a perfectly viable thing.

_I communicated with Darth Vader…_

Perhaps if Luke had not drained his emotional energies that morning, he would have felt shock and horrified. However all he could muster at that moment was a feeble skip of the heart and several pathetic gasps.

_I communicated with _Darth Vader...

If it wasn't a crime before, it would definitely be one now. He could almost feel the guilt sliding down his throat and burning his stomach. If only he had been more controlled in his thoughts and emotions, as Yoda had always urged, it would not have happened.

Thudding footsteps behind him indicated the approach of Chewie, but Luke was too drained to care.

Chewie seemed to sense his reluctance to engage in conversations and simply at next to him in peaceful silence, allowing his presence to comfort Luke through the force. If Han was here he would probably be muttering darkly about lazy crewmen, but Han was a million miles away on a bounty hunter's ship and definitely in no condition to complain.

The two companions sat together amidst the feeble flashing light of the dashboard, each contemplating a private thought. For the first time in several weeks, Luke felt entirely comfortable in the company of another living being.

He had neglected Chewie, as much he had Leia, possibly even more because unlike the princess Chewie did not actively seek him out. Perhaps he had the intuition to understand what Luke was going through and the wisdom to allow him some peace.

All good things come to an end, and the incessant beeping from the radar sliced through the comforting silence in the cockpit. Chewie growled in confusion and pointed at green blob that had recent materialised on the green screen.

"Didn't Han tell you what he did to the radar?" asked Luke feeling rather perplexed. Normally when Han upgraded his gadgets Chewie would be the first to know.

The roar from Chewie was definitely negative, and highly irate. Even with Luke's severely limited knowledge of Chewie's language, he could easy make out what Chewie was saying.

Han had apparently bought a new radar from an Imperial outlet store several months ago. He apparently then forgot all about the new gadget lying unused in the glove box until he uprooted it while mending the Falcon on Bespin. Han, being Han, had installed the new radar just before the hapless trio ran into Darth Vader, which meant the neither Chewie nor Leia knew how to operate it.

"Well, that big dot in the centre is new, but the little dots around it have been there for a while…" said Luke hesitantly. He had never been good at deciphering scans; Uncle Owen had tried and failed to teach him that precise art and the Rebellion did not have the resources to fund further education. "Maybe they're asteroids," finished Luke lamely.

Chewie's reply hinted to him that they were currently in hyperspace and therefore should not be seeing asteroids at all.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe if we ignore it, it'll go away,"

Chewie slapped himself in exasperation, reached over to the orientation controls, and turned on a holo-map of the surrounding region. Apparently apart from several small moons and a medium sized star Luke had never heard of, they should not have encountered anything else. Luke stared at the projection dumbly, as if he was still sitting in the old dusty classroom, trying to answer an impossible geography question that Mrs Elson had no doubt cooked up to humiliate him.

Thankfully Lando choose that moment to appear, thereby saving Luke from deeper feelings of inadequacy.

"Is that awful piece of junk playing up again?" he asked derisively.

"Do you know how to turn it off, Lando? Because Chewie doesn't have a clue," said Luke, rubbing his head. He could feel the warning signs of a migraine running through his brain, but Han would probably call him a sissy if he complained.

"I don't know!" cried Lando in exasperation, "Your mate Han decides to _upgrade_ this ship, who am I to complain?"

Chewie roared and pointed emphatically at the projected map in front of him.

"Chewie, thinks that the radar isn't working because we're not in an asteroid field," said Luke in a matter of fact way.

"Asteroid field?" demanded Lando, "Kid we ain't even close to a planetary system let alone an asteroid field. Look, we're supposed to have passed Aeneid, Eclogues and Georgics, then the star of Virgil."

Lando's patronizing tone caused Luke to frown in annoyance. Luke was considered to be one of the "more educated" but Tatooine was not renowned for its education system. He had left school at fourteen after finishing his Intermediate Studies. Unlike most of the other moisture farmers who pulled their children out of school as early as possible, Uncle Owen understood the merits of a comprehensive education. Education was one of the few issues where Uncle Owen had demonstrated foresight.

"I can see that," said Luke testily, "but that doesn't solve our radar problem,"

"Luke," said Lando smoothly, "I'm just pointing out that the radar isn't displaying the immediate area,"

"Believe it or not, _Lando_, I can understand the most elementary of concepts."

Luke's uncharacteristic and bitter sarcasm was enough to cause Lando to rethink his instinctive cutting reply. He opened his mouth to apologise but before he could form the words on his tongue, Luke was gone in an orange swirl; his speed no doubt enhanced by the force.

"Well, that kid is _fast_!" chuckled Lando weakly but Chewie was not listening. He was bent double over the radar screen, obviously uninterested in pursuing the subject.

Back in the lounge Luke heaved himself onto the couch. He was short enough to fit onto the narrow, sparely padded seats and he lay there for a moment feeling his head spin like a tornado.

_He felt _dense_, something he had not felt for a long time. On Tatooine he had been praised for his intelligence…he could fix anything. Never before had it occurred to Luke that he was lacking in intellect, until he joined the rebellion. _

_Princess Leia, of course, possessed an intimidating amount of knowledge but she was a _princess_. Han, on the other hand, was not too familiar with Regal Protocol, but he could definitely hold his own in the real world, as he liked to call it. _

_That just left Luke…he had always thought he was a pretty good engineer, and piloting was a difficult profession…but most of the time he did not come across as the sharpest knife in the block. _

There was a slight rustle as Leia entered the lounge and sat opposite to him. Although Luke had slung his arm over his eyes he could sense the princess's aura, which shone like a beacon in the force.

"Luke, are you…alright?" asked Leia tentatively. It was rare to see Luke looking so vulnerable.

"I'm fine, Leia, just a headache," said Luke curtly, though his voice was muffled by his sleeve.

Beside him he could feel Leia's growing anxiety. He knew it was selfish of him to be so distant because of his own insecurity, but the migraine was attacking his brain with a vigour worthy of the _Executor_.

Leia took a deep breath and something in the force stirred restlessly in the distance between them…_she was going to tell him something_. Luke found nothing but apathy lurking in his mind.

"Luke…I just want you to know that whatever happens today…I love you…"

His Jedi reflexes were somewhat rusty but he still managed to leap from the couch in a blur of off-white clothing.

"_In a friendly sort of way!_" exclaimed Leia, looking as mortified as Luke felt. The life came back into his numb fingers and Luke hastily sat back down again, trying not to make a fuss of the rhythmic pounding in his head.

"I love you, Luke, like a little brother, and I just can't bear to loose you…" Leia dissolved into tears that she had evidently been holding back for so long.

Perhaps then had been the best time to speak his words of comfort, but his vocabulary deserted him and instead he looked in the opposite direction. He was in no emotional state to provide support to others, even Leia.

Finally as the silence wore on and Leia's sniffles reached a crescendo, Luke gave in,

"Leia, you won't loose me and soon we will have Han back with us. There's nothing to fear, I'll always be right beside you,"

The words, which had sounded decent inside his head, came out with a weak, feigned conviction that only Imperials and gamblers possessed when justifying their actions. However it was the best he could come up with and he soon found himself wishing the princess would leave so that he could lie back down.

As if his thoughts had been transmitted through the force, Leia stood up shakily and turned away. Suddenly she swirled around in a blur of brilliant white which enveloped Luke's vision. Small, delicate arms wrapped themselves around him and they shared a much needed embrace.

"I understand now that there is little I can do to help you at this moment, but whatever happens you'll never be alone Luke…you have me. _Goodnight little brother_," Leia whispered in his ear and she walked off towards the cockpit, leaving Luke alone to contemplate their relationship.

However the throbbing pain in the front of his skull drained his consciousness and soon the overwhelming force of sleep drowned him.

Someone was shaking him roughly, a muffled voice floated through his sleep dazed mind,

"…We've engaged, Luke _get up!_"

The cry jerked him awake like a bucket of icy water. Luke spluttered and struggled on the couch until he inevitably landed on the hard floor.

"We've engaged with Dash Rendar!" cried Lando's voice high above him. The worn brown boots filled most of Luke's vision and he grappled to right himself. "Get in the cockpit; you're piloting this piece of junk!"

Stumbling unceremoniously after Lando, Luke managed to arrive at the cockpit without any mishaps, despite several parts of his brain still stuck in hibernation.

He felt numb to his surroundings, and the sensation seemed to spread throughout his whole body, so that his limbs felt weak and useless.

An ironically cheerful and overconfident voice greeted him over the comm.

"So I finally get to meet the great Luke Skywalker, well what can I do for you today?"

Dash Rendar sounded very much like a friend of Han's and perhaps he had even learnt some mannerisms from Han because Luke's heart seemed to ache at the tone of his voice.

"Can you get us to Han?" asked Luke, hoping to get down to business as soon as possible.

"Kid, that's what I've been employed to do. You can trust Dash Rendar, and the _Outrider_. She's the best ship of her kind, much better than that piece of scrap you're flying around," Dash punctured his rendition with a spiteful laugh.

"Enough talk, Rendar, cut to the action," demanded Luke, the desire to get Han back was boiling in his veins, thawing his frozen limbs.

"Oh…tough talk kid, I've got better things to do after this anyway. Right just follow my lead and for Star's sake don't do anything stupid."

With that the transmission was cut before Luke could voice his retort, leaving an charged silence in its wake.

"Chewie, you go down to man the guns. Lando, keep an eye on Rendar, we don't want to loose him. Leia, strap yourself in," ordered Luke, feeling somewhat like his old self again. The rush of battle always managed make him forget, even for a little while, his traumatic personal life.

The crew must have noticed his change in demeanour because they sprung to action, exchanging secret smiles. Chewie roared with approval and disappeared into the bowels of the ship.

The Outrider was clearly visible on the side screens on either side of the transpri-steel windscreen. It was a fast sturdy ship, not much bigger than the Millenium Falcon and very similar in design. However Luke had to admit that it was certainly in better condition. No matter how much Han and Chewie had tried to "patch up" their prized possession, it was no match for the Outrider.

Various numbers flashed before Luke's screen, clearly indicating that the Outrider was moving away at a fast pace. Using the locking mechanism, Luke latched onto the ship and allowed the computer some autonomy. It also enabled him to gain some bearings of their location, which he had not had time to do after being so abruptly woken from his sleep.

A blue gas giant loomed in the viewing port and large multicoloured rings circled the diameter making it a potential tourist attraction. However the stats were less than pleasing. Of the four largest moons, two were uninhabitable and one was occupied by a savage cannibalistic humanoid species that detested civilisation. The fourth housed a fortified Imperial base.

_So this is what Lando has been withholding from me,_ thought Luke cynically. Judging from the information available Iona Base was medium capacity with five to six squadrons of TIEs, containing 72 fighters each.

However Luke had no desire to engage the Imperial Navy. It was just short of suicide _with_ a Rouge escort…

The best course of action was to land on the other side of the planet, but if Fett had indeed stopped here, he would most likely wish to stick close to the base; it was after all the epicentre of civilisation on the unstable rock. Dash Rendar would probably plough his way right through the atmosphere and land on the Imperial air strip.Although Luke had barely exchanged several sentences with the man, he already had a very good idea of his personality.

Suddenly the secondary radar started to beep in alarm and Luke turned to look at the readings.

A squadron…no two squadrons of X-wings were jumping out of hyperspace not far behind him!

The comm crackled to life and Wedge's voice hailed him,

"Luke, why were you guys in such a hurry to leave, had us chasing after you like headless chickens!"

Luke's face hardened, and the bitter bile of resentment was still fresh in his mouth.

"Captain Koyri, told us you'd be flying with us," said Wedge, his cheerful voice faltering a bit. "Are you alright, Luke?"

Remembering it had been several days since he last talked any of the old squad, Luke felt his resentment subside, just a little. It did not seem that Wedge knew of the conspiracy.

"I'm fine, Wedge, this mission couldn't wait," said Luke curtly.

"We bought your X-wing with us," said Wedge, as if he thought it would cheer Luke up. Instead the seed of suspicion was firmly planted.

"No thank you, it would be too much of a hassle," said Luke.

"Well if you're sure, I suppose we can take 'em on all right. We'll flank you 'till we're in range of the base. I reckon the Imps'll send out two squads, they'll need the rest to protect the base. Good luck Luke,"

With that Wedge cut the transmission and the line went dead.

"Good to see you still have some sense about you," commented Lando as he studied the secondary radar screen.

"I could do much more in an X-wing," said Luke, feeling as if he was somehow shriking his duties.

"Nah, the Millennium Falcon needs you. Who's gonna pilot this piece of junk, if Chewie's busy shooting Imps out the sky?"

Luke looked nonchalant and continued to fiddle with the various flight controls on the dashboard.

"Kid, you can't go now, you've already turned them down, so just concentrate on this, okay?" demanded Lando looking concerned by Luke's lack of reaction.

The words only added to Luke's growing sense of frustration.

_"I'm fine, _Lando, I can handle myself!" hissed Luke barely retaining the fragile grip on his anger.

Lando was wise enough to stop talking.

The small green moon was growing larger by the second as the Millennium Falcon neared its destination. Luke instinctively reached out to the force for guidance only to find a weak, elusive energy. The force was evading him, as if to punish him for his earlier outbursts.

_Calm,_ Luke instructed himself, _Yoda would not approve of you entering battle with a conflicting mind. You must be focused. _

Five minutes later when they entered the moon's airspace, Luke had managed procure a feigned calmness from the force. Rouge squadrons formed a protective circle around the Millennium Falcon but the Outrider was far ahead, spearheading the attack.

"So far so good, maybe the Imps won't spot us."

Wedge's voice crackled over the comm with an optimism Luke did not share.

"I don't think it will be that simple, they might be luring us as far as possible into their territory," replied Luke trying to sound as professional as possible in his pessimism.

As if on cue several scout TIEs appeared on the ship's secondary radar as flashing red dots. They moved in formation towards the Millennium Falcon and its entourage, which were still outside of their scope range.

"Incoming, five TIEs…scouts by the looks of things," said Wedge as if to confirm the accuracy of the red radar. The major radar on the other hand was not privy to the drama occurring outside; instead it continued to display a geometrical pattern of different sized green dots.

"Prepare to engage," ordered Luke, unaware of the fact that he was not currently sitting in the command position of the Rouge Squadron.

"Aye, commander," said Wedge swerving his X-wing into the forefront of the attack formation, a position normally occupied by Luke.

"Place as much power as you can spare into your front shield, our priority is to minimize damage."

Over the comm Luke could hear affirmatives from the other Rouges.

"Squad Beta, assume defensive position, we need you to cover. Squad Alpha stay in attack position after conflict, I sense this is just the beginning,"

The adrenalin rush that preceded battle was beginning to start, flooding Luke's veins with hormones…making him feel so much more _alive_.

"Hey, kid time to prove you're the second best pilot around," came the jaunting and ever so smug voice of Dash Rendar over a separate comm channel.

"Rendar, pull back the Rouges will handle this," ordered Luke fully expecting a cocky refusal. However to his surprise he could sense Rendar shrug nonchalantly.

"Fine, whatever,"

The Outrider pulled back behind the Rouges with graceful precision leaving the TIEs fully exposed to Wedge's excellent marksmen ship.

However a sense of dread seeped in Luke's stomach even before the stark white fighters were within range of his scopes, something wasn't quite right. The TIEs looked ordinary enough…unless…

_How could he be so stupid! They weren't ordinary TIEs…no ordinary TIEs would have disappeared long ago, as soon as they saw what they were facing. These guys were _accelerating!

"Wedge, watch out! They're not ordinary TIEs!" shouted Luke down the comm device.

"There are no special markings on them," answered Wedge sounding extremely puzzled.

"Who would be stupid enough to give such an advantage away?" demanded Luke feeling his panic struggling to free itself.

"Well, there's not much we can do now…"

"Listen, they must have shields and superior weapons, even better mobility. Don't take them lightly. Any X-wing with a breach of shields beyond 50 must pull back, is that understood!" ordered Luke, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Wedge repeated the order but even without the force Luke could sense his confusion. _They were only TIEs…it wasn't usual for him to freak out over TIEs, even modified ones_. However he could feel the force wretch and spin outside the cockpit, something was going to happen.

"Preparing to engage…three…two…"

The TIEs loomed ahead just out of laser range. Wedge had a point: they looked completely ordinary. Luke had shot down enough Imperial fighters to read them by their markings, but _never judge a trader by his clothes_.

Suddenly an explosion of laser fire ensued lighting up the cold blackness of space with hundred of green and red streaks. As the Rouges fired smartly at the white ghostly crafts, blue force fields appeared around the hulls, causally deflecting the laser shots. The TIEs didn't even shift off course.

They were charging towards the centre of the Rouge formation, hoping to punch a hole through the line. Squad Beta were forming a barrier between the two larger ships and the seeming indestructible TIEs.

Volleys of shots were exchanged, but none seemed to damage the pale blue Imperial force shields. Two X-wings were listing badly off course, desperately trying to avoid the incoming red streaks.

Suddenly, Luke felt something that made his heart freeze. A cold dark _familiar_ presence was penetrating his mind.

_/Son… /_

Luke screamed, his mind furiously tore itself from the freezing touch.

The ship swerved to the left and the last thing Luke registered in his mind was the detached voice of Vader,

_/We meet again… /_

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**AN:** Oh cliffhanger, aren't I mean? Anyway this chapter is really still setting the scene and planting plot devices. 

Keep an eye on the freaky radar…brownie points for anyone who guesses what's going on.

**Please review…you know you want to. **


	5. Snare

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 4. Snare

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. With the rebellion perilously close to extermination, Han frozen in carbonite, and the emergence of a mysterious, sinister order, Luke is thrown into a tornado of political intrigue and menacing underworlds as he starts to doubt the truth of his lineage.

**Review Thanks:** mlgm, GQD, VFSNAKE, DarthGladiator45, Davy Jones Locker, Kim, Eliza Urchin, Carrie

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**AN:** I am updating my website ahead of because it takes so long to make the documents on my website so I sometimes make two chapters in one go.

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_The ship swerved to the left and the last thing Luke registered in his mind was the detached voice of Vader,_

_We meet again…>_

The Millennium Falcon veered dangerously causing the already dilapidated stabilizers to whine under the stress.

Lando immediately grabbed the co-pilot's controls, pulling the lever as hard as possible to save the ship from an imminent collision. The cockpit tilted as the ship swung abruptly back on course.

Even as the ship was righting itself, the irate voice of Dash Rendar burst through the comm,

"What d' you think you're doing?" he demanded, a slight tone of hysterics underlay his normally casual voice.

Lando did not reply, his knuckles were white and his hands trembled as he clutched the controls for dear life. Beads of cold sweat erupted across his forehead.

"Calrissian! Are you there?" yelled Rendar, sounding more than a little concerned.

A small amount of mobility returned to Lando's muscles, enough for him to turn and see the limp form of Luke Skywalker sprawled across the deck, face down.

For one dreadful moment Lando thought he was dead.

With a cry, the former smuggler jumped from his seat, abandoning the controls to the guidance system.

"Luke! Luke!"

He shook the lifeless body forcefully and Luke's head lolled sickly from side to side.

"What's happening?" demanded Rendar, his voice magnified by his approximation to his comm unit.

"Luke! Wake up!" cried Lando, slapping his friend much harder than he intended, leaving several angry red handprints on Luke's face.

It did the trick though and Luke sluggishly opened his eyes, which were unsurprisingly unfocused.

"Man, have you got a situation on your hands?" shouted Rendar, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"I fine, Rendar! Look after yourself!" cried Lando as he hoisted Luke's sagging body into the co-pilot's chair.

"Gee, I show you some concern," objected Rendar as coolly as possible but he could not disguise the relief in his voice.

"Shut up," snapped Lando and cut the communications with a swipe of his hand. Luke leaned on the dashboard holding his head in his hands. "Leia, get in here now!" shouted Lando down in the comm.

Hurried footsteps immediately reached the cockpit. Leia cried out in concern and rushed to Luke's side.

"I dunno what happened, one minute he was fine and the next he just fainted," said Lando keeping both his hand firmly on the controls.

"Oh Luke, what happened?" Leia asked, cupping his blotched face in her hands. His eyes focused on Leia's face but his mouth refused to move.

"Incoming!" cried a Rouge as the X-wings in front of the Millennium Falcon dived for cover. A sleek silver missile was streaking towards them at lightening speed.

Lando pulled to controls to the left, putting his entire body into the motion. His jaw clenched with fear but the Millennium Falcon's reputation was hard won and she escaped the missile by a wide berth.

Suddenly the cockpit flashed crimson as an X-wing exploded just ahead of them, pieces of burnt debris bounced against the shields causing the alarm to sound.

"No! Dix!" Luke had regained consciousness just in time to see the horrific explosion. How he knew it was Dix's X-wing, Leia could only speculate.

"Luke, what happened? How did you –,"

"It was _him_. He contacted _me_," Luke cried, unable to control his own fear.

"Dix?" asked Lando in confusion, taking his eyes momentarily off the battle.

"No…"

"It was _Vader_!"

Leia tried to keep the shock from her face.

"He can contact you?" said Lando derisively as the ship swerved to avoid another missile. The X-wings were slowly but surely gaining the upper hand due to their numbers. However two TIEs still remained, firing ferociously at the rebel entourage.

"He spoke to me inside my head, like he did on Bespin,"

Lando looked sceptical but Leia muffled a cry with her elegant fingers.

"He's _here_! He has to be. It's a trap!"

"Listen, are you sure you didn't just -,"

"Dammit Lando, _move_!" Luke shoved Lando unceremoniously away from the comm unit and grabbed the receiver. "Rouges, it's a trap! There are star destroyers in the vicinity. Pull back, _abort mission_!"

"What!" yelled Wedge and Luke saw his X-wing swing dangerously off course.

"How do you know? My sensors -,"

"I know, Wes, believe me! Everyone pull back now, that's an _order_!"

Suddenly two orange torpedoes shot out from the Rebel line and obliterated the TIEs. The ensuring explosion bathed the cockpit in an eerie crimson light.

"Commander, we've won!" exclaimed the young rookie pilot who had been responsible for the explosions.

"No, _pull back now_!" ordered Luke, refusing to give into the Rouges.

"You're not in much of a position to -,"

"Shut up, Tyro," snapped Hobbie, "if the commander wants us to retreat we'll retreat."

"Luke, are you sure about this…Han's down there," said Lando tentatively, as if he was approaching a social taboo. The blood drained from Leia's face leaving the lines on her face far more marked than before.

"I am sure, I heard Darth Vader -,"

"You heard _Vader_!" shriek Wes in alarm. Outside, an X-wing rocked dangerous as if experiencing atmospheric turbulence.

Luke mentally cursed himself for not turning off the comm channel. A cacophony of terrified, disbelieving voices rose from the comm unit, reaching a dizzying crescendo in the small cockpit.

"Quiet!" shouted Wedge with authority, "Luke is it one of your force visions?"

"Yes!" Luke was prepared to say anything right now because each second they wasted arguing brought them closer to imminent death.

"You heard the man, _retreat_!"

Perhaps it was Wedge's intuition that allowed him to believe in the force, for he was one of very few people prepared to trust a mysterious entity that they could neither see nor feel.

"Prepare to engage, one squad of TIEs heading straight for us!" squeaked Tyro and Luke could sense a dark swirling mass of fear smother the young pilot.

"Are they -," Luke was about to say whether the TIEs were the awful new and improved models but Wedge cut him off mid phrase.

"There's no time for retreat, engaging…two…one!"

The front line of Rouges fired in unison sending a swift death to three of the foremost TIEs. Beyond another line of austere white fighters waited like a wicked row of sharpened fangs, ready to strike.

"They're normal," breathed Wes with a sign of relief that was short lived for the TIEs homed in on the severely outnumbered rebels, shooting unrelenting strings of blasts.

Soon the whole sky was lit up by the haphazard streaks of light tearing up the black fabric of space. The Millennium Falcon rocked with the pounding of blasts that had broken through the defence.

"Shields 67 and holding well," commented Lando, though his expression did not reflect the confidence of the words.

"Move more power to the forward shields," commanded Luke, "cut out any unnecessary systems, heating, ventilations…move remain power to forward and side guns."

"Side guns?" demanded Lando, fear cracking the corners of his brave façade.

"Sooner or later we will be in the midst of it all. Leia do you know how to man the side guns? Chewie will be able to handle the front ones on his own," informed Luke running a sweaty hand through his equally moist hair. Pain erupted through his cortex, burning its way rapidly to the back of his skull where its intensity dulled. He must have winced because Leia looked extremely unwilling to leave him.

"Just a little headache, won't put me out of action," he assured her through a forced smile. However it was the incessant volley of thunderous blasts that convinced her to leave him.

The forward cannons were performing admirably and the Millennium Falcon rained shots down upon the TIEs with extreme accuracy, taking more than half a dozen out in one round. However the white monstrosities seemed to be forming from space itself, as impossibly more fighters morphed into existence to replace their wasted comrades.

The equipment rattled ominously as the shields were beginning to disintegrate under the ferocious onslaught.

"Wedge, how are you hold?" asked Luke hastily buckling his seat restraints as the cockpit began to pitch sideways.

"There's…too many of them…might be surrounded…" The signal spluttered and crackled in the disturbance, so that Luke was unable to discern the rest of Wedge's speech but he had heard enough.

"Lando mark position of incoming and overshot TIEs," said Luke barely able to control his racing heart and the all too familiar sense of imminent doom.

"Right on you," confirmed Lando simultaneously flicking several switches, "They've broken formations, looks a big mess to – wait no! Luke they're forming a _ring_! We're being _surrounded_!"

Fear rolled through the force, closing the physical gap between them, clutching the two pilots tightly in its grasping claws.

"Rouges break cover, pull all resources into breaking out of encirclement!" shouted Luke down the comm unit, which shook with the vigour of his command.

"…Lost three…too many of them…" the signal was disintegrating as they spoke. Luke could not longer distinguish the pilot who had spoken.

"Concentrate fire power in one place!" he cried, hardly noticing the desperation in his voice.

Wes's X-wing was streaking across the windscreen heading for a potential weak spot. A blinding shot of red flashed into view and collided in a shower of sparks with the fighter's left wing. A curse more sensed than heard arrived over the comm and the wounded X-wing veered away from the Millennium Falcon before disappearing into the confusion of battle.

"Wes!" There was no reply but Luke took heart in the fact that the comm was dead.

"How far are we from the planet's surface?" demanded Luke pulling the freighter into a cork screw climb to avoid colliding with a doomed TIE.

"Sixteen klicks…kilometres, and decreasing" stated Lando clutching the dashboard for support.

"Good, we might make it." Luke sounded grim.

"You want to land? Man every Imp on the moon is looking for us, besides isn't _Darth Vader_ supposed to be here!" hissed Lando as the cockpit spun unnaturally sending a shower of datapads flying out of a storage compartment.

"It's our _only_ chance, _Han's on that planet_!"

"For all we know Fett probably shifted before we got here. He's definitely left now he knows we're here!"

"Lando…"

Luke's protest was cut short as a TIE fighter exploded unnervingly close to the Millennium Falcon; sending shockwaves tearing through the entire ship. Luke pulled up hastily and charged the automatic guns with all the power he could muster.

The force was bashing him again, trying to get his attentions…_now is the time_. The force whipped through the cockpit like a thunderstorm…_Fire!_

A torrent of blasts sailed towards the white formation, utterly destroying an entire line of fighters.

For a few moments Luke gaped at the scene. The TIEs had been so packed together shrapnel from the exploding fighters had lodged in the surrounding crafts causing a chain explosion. The force had not deserted him.

Over the comm the grainy of whooping cheers could be heard.

"…brilliant shot…do that again,"

"Move out of the circle!" yelled Luke as soon as he had regained his senses. The communications must have still been functioning because at once every X-wing made a beeline for the opening. TIE fighters desperately closed in but the X-wings had gained an advantage.

Luke swung the Millennium Falcon sharply to the left and accelerated downwards to make his escape. They were nearly clear of the dense clump of white TIEs that formed the blockade. Luke fired the automatic guns hoping to take out some more Imperials before they departed. The shots hit their mark but the ensuing explosion was far too closer to the ship than Luke had anticipated.

The freighter creaked and shuddered, the dashboard rattled so loudly Luke was sure it would fall to pieces. Then the alarms sounded.

"We've been hit! Port side!" cried Lando, desperately switching off the power supply to the damaged area.

Suddnely without warning the ship pitched sideways, hurling loss datapads across the deck. The seat restraints dug into Luke's chest cutting off his air supply.

"Fire the booster engines," scream Luke as the image outside the view port streaked past in a blur.

A roar of ignitions and the ship jerked unceremonious upwards and the view from the windscreen righted itself.

"Commander, are you alright?" demanded the surprisingly clear voice of Wedge.

"We're safe but we've been hit, the damage -,"

"The damage is bad, your port side is all but gone, the ship can't fly far." Wedge sounded unusually grim. "The best course of action is to land right away, while we're keeping the TIEs busy!"

"Alright," said Luke reluctantly. He did not like the idea of leaving the Rouges but Han was down there, "we're landing. Once we're in the atmosphere, just leave alright, go back to base."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Wedge replied,

"Fine…Wes has also landed on the planet. I received confirmation from him six minutes ago. His X-wing has been damaged so I cannot provide co-ordinates but try to team up, will you?"

"Don't worry we'll find Wes and get Han back," said Luke trying to sound reassuring.

"See you back at base," muttered Wedge before cutting the transmission. However the comm channel became occupied instantaneously with the voice of Dash Rendar,

"Hey, hold on if you're landing so am I. We'll head for the Kiyr, a settlement north of the Imp base. I know a place where we can land safely, follow me."

Having no alternatives Luke steered the Millennium Falcon towards the sleek Outrider, which had surprisingly not suffered any damage. The ship shuddered dangerously as they descended towards the planet's surface leaving the carnage of the battlefield behind. Luke silently fought the urge to turn around and assist the Rouges, but the battered ship demanded all of his concentration. From his scopes he could see the Rouges were easily holding their own against the Imperial fighters now that they had escaped the encirclement.

The small sickly green moon increased dramatically in size as they picked up speed, until it dominated the view port like a bloated giant. A few grey wisps of what could be cloud swirled slowly in the moon's atmosphere.

"Prepare for some turbulence," said Rendar calmly as the Millennium Falcon shuddered more violently.

Luke gripped the controls tightly and focused on the force. The energy was growing restless by the second as they approached the atmosphere. A sudden upheaval signalled their entry and Luke pulled the force round his mind in order to secure a safe landing on the planet.

The atmosphere was surprisingly clear and offered minimal resistance to the experienced pilots who navigated through it. As they emerged from a small mass of grey cloud, Luke saw the tell tale signs of settlement on the planet's surface. Large square patches of different coloured plants dominated the landscape, but there were no towering skyscrapers or space ports in sight.

"Dash where are we going to land?" asked Lando serving the agricultural landscape with interest.

"Kiyr dead ahead," was the casual reply.

As Luke looked at the horizon, small grey-green and distinctly unnatural structures appeared. Alarmingly the scopes displayed a medium sized settlement with over a million inhabitants.

"Rendar!" cried Luke, "You said it was a small settlement!"

"It is! Iona Base is much bigger. Besides this is the only other settlement on the planet."

"You're gonna get us killed someday, Dash!" hissed Lando in exasperation.

"Someday? How about today?" laughed Rendar as the Outrider performed a corkscrew spin in front of them.

"Quit, Rendar. Is Han likely to be here?" demanded Luke.

"Not good odds on that one kid," said Dash finally sounding serious, "Fett's more than likely to be at Iona Base, he can get supplies faster that way. When I saw him, his ship looked pretty beat up. What's more I reckon he's got some business associates there that we can tap into. Kiyr is the best place to hide our ships. We'll proceed to the Imp base via speeder."

"Are you _insane_!" shrieked Lando finally realising the danger they were in. "We're wanted criminals; we can't just stroll into some fortified Imp Base!"

"Chill Lando, this place ain't half as straight as you make it out to be. Money and contacts are the key here and I got plenty of both. Believed me, this backwater of a base is more corrupt than the Imperial centre and as co-ordinated as Jabba on a spice high."

Lando did not look reassured.

"Right, we're approaching the settlement where is the suitable place to land?" asked Luke stretching out the settlement via the force. He sensed decadence, fear and instability, all the hallmarks of a thriving illegal community.

"Pitrak field south of the settlement," said Dash confidently as he started to descend.

"We're landing in the middle of a field!" Lando wiped his brow with his sleeve and clutched his controls like a man with a death sentence.

"I'm sure ace pilot Skywalker can manage this," taunted Dash as he accelerated the Outrider to the large patch of red beneath them. Ahead the tall flat blocks of Kiyr jutted out into the blue sky like fat greedy fingers.

Below the Outrider landed gracefully on in a field teeming with stubby red stalks, flattening an impressive amount of the crop.

Luke carefully guided the Millennium Falcon down, fully aware of the extensive damage that had been done to the ship. However there was only a low thud and several pieces of the red straw landed on the windscreen.

With a sign of relief Lando hastily started to unbuckle and Luke followed suit. As they shut down the systems from the cockpit, Leia and Chewie entered looking grim and grimy from the dirt in the bowels of the ship.

"I see we're stranded," commented Leia casually as she pulled her emergency kit from the storage compartment. It was one of the few items that had not fallen out during the violent space battle.

Chewie roared encouragingly pulled a first aid kit from the same compartment, which he then stowed away in his sack.

"We're going to save Han," said Luke feeling determined.

"Even if Darth Vader has set a trap?" inquired Leia her eyes flashing with emotion. Luke froze. "I heard all your conversations via the internal comm. Luke…I don't -,"

"Listen, Leia if you think I can't face him again, _you're wrong_! I don't care if the entire Imperial Fleet has come to stop us, we are going to save Han!" said Luke, silently challenging anyone who dared to disagree.

"Luke, we need someone to stay here and fix the ship. What use will it be if we rescue Han from the bounty hunter but can't leave the planet?" pleaded Leia.

"You know Luke the princess has a point," muttered Lando uncomfortably.

"Look, we're going to Kiyr and getting what ever parts we need and then Lando can stay and fix the ship," snapped Luke as he swung his satchel over his shoulder and disappeared into the lounge.

"I don't know…" murmured Leia more to herself than the others.

"Listen, princess you're gonna need me on this one -," protested Lando, determined that he would not miss out on the action. Chewie growled pointedly. "So what if the kid doesn't agree, who say he gets to -,"

"Lando I think it's best if you did stay and mend the ship, you're the only one who has -,"

"Princess, Chewie here knows this ship far better than me," objected Lando but Chewie roared angrily in reply.

"Lando, _please_, if you want to help us just stay here and mend the ship." The tone indicated that the princess had the final say and Lando dropped his arms in defeat.

"Fine, but you keep an eye on the kid, I don't think he can handle much more, what with Vader on our heels."

The trio exited the Millennium Falcon via the boarding ramp that Luke had released.

The air on the moon was thin and chilly but very still. The disturbed shards of red straw lay silently in the greenish soil below their feet that crunched like gravel beneath their soles. A little way away from the Falcon stood Luke examining some equipment, beside him stood the unmistakable figure of Dash Rendar, smirking roguishly.

Their guide was of medium height but possessed a strong muscular build seen more often in rich body builders than smugglers. His red mop of spiky hair stood stuck out at intentional queer angles, adding to his fashionable look. Scaly body armour covered his torso and underneath it he wore a lighter coloured shirt with utility vest in the fashion that Han had been so very fond of.

He winked charmingly at the princess as the trio approached and pulled a hand through his already jagged hair.

"Welcome to the grand adventure guys!"

Leia and Luke rolled their eyes in exasperation.

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In the sensory shadow of the gas giant the Executor loomed like a silent predator surveying its next kill. 

The bridge had a spectacular view of the blue planet known as Gall, but no one was paying it any attention apart from the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Behind him looking distinctly uncomfortable were two junior officers.

"Lord Vader, we have received word that a rebel squadron has engaged Iona Base," squeaked the first man. His companion clutched his sweaty hand tightly against his legs.

"It is going to plan." It was not a question for everyone knew failure was not an option.

"Lord Vader, the Rouges are wining the battle…the base has little protection left. If there was to be a -," the second man froze as Admiral Piett interrupted.

"There will not be a second wave, the rebels clearly do not intend to attack the base," the admiral said confidently in a somewhat reassuring way and the junior officer relaxed a little. "Iona Base does not know of our presence as of yet, Lord Vader, Do you wish me to inform them?" inquired Piett.

"There is no need, Admiral," rumbled the Dark Lord, turning to survey his second in command. Piett, to his credit, remained unperturbed.

"Of course, my Lord,"

"Contact the bounty hunter," instructed Vader abruptly and Piett smoothly obeyed.

The sophisticated communications device on board the Executor produced a clear blue hologram of Boba Fett, who bowed respectfully and holstered his rifle.

"My Lord Vader," said the bounty hunter, his distinctive voice rang out through the bridge.

"Your report, Fett," demanded Vader curtly.

"Your quarry has landed with their guide, Dash Rendar, an Imperial Cadet turned smuggler. They are currently half a kilometre south of Kiyr, where I believe they will try to obtain parts for their broken ship. Rendar knows of my current location and they will attempt to engage me here by tomorrow at the latest."

"Wait for them in Iona Base; allow word to leak out that you are in the compound itself. Once they are in the vicinity contact me immediately. My agents will do the rest."

With a touch of the force the connection was cut and Vader's mechanical breathing became the most prominent sound in the room.

"If I may ask, my lord," said Piett looking at his commander. Vader did not object, "Can we trust this bounty hunter to stay; he is after all set to make a large fortune with Solo already,"

"He is _wise_ enough not to upset me," stated the Dark Lord with a hint of menace in his voice. Piett tactfully nodded. "I wish to capture the rebels myself, notify me when they have reached Iona Base. In the mean time report the rebels whereabouts every hour."

With a swish of his cloak Vader had gone, leaving Piett alone on the bridge to brood on his own thoughts and speculations.

The snare was set, the rebels will come.

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AN: Luke's going to have a bad time of it soon, 1 more chapter before father and son meet face to face. Can't wait to write what Luke says… :P 

**Please review, it really keeps me going in the dark hours of writing**.


	6. Infilitration

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 4. Infiltration

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. With the rebellion perilously close to extermination, Han frozen in carbonite, and the emergence of a mysterious, sinister order, Luke is thrown into a tornado of political intrigue and menacing underworlds as he starts to doubt the truth of his lineage.

**Review Thanks: Vionesse, GQD, Fluffy, Carrie, Xenia Marvolo, VFSNAKE, **

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**AN:** Wow fifth chapter, this fic is really taking off. Your reviews mean everything to me so many thanks to everyone who reviewed! 

If you're wondering Kiyr is pronounced "Kear", at least in my imagination!

Chapters 6 and 7 will be on my website, I'm making the pages for them today, takes me about an hour on every update.

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The grimy, smoke filled cantina was the last place Luke wanted to spend the rest of the day light hours. Being stranded on an alien moon was not going to become a cherished memory in the near future. His pessimistic instincts were beginning to make the rash decision to land here feel like a death trap. 

What alternative is there? The Millennium Falcon could not have escaped into hyperspace with half her port side torn out. I had to land the ship, even if it had to be on an Imperial moon with Darth Vader's presence looming on the horizon.

Vader, the name terrified him. Vader was a murderer, a tyrant, a liar and not his father.

For a brief moment, a spark of humour ignited in the dark recesses of his mind,

_**Daddy dearest**, that's what I should call him when I see him, Daddy dearest. Daddy dearest read me a story, hug me, love me…_

An abrupt laugh rang in Luke's ears and it took him a moment to realise that he had laughed out loud. Several seedy occupants of the neighbouring booth turned around to regard him with clinical disinterest. The inhabitants of Kiyr were probably very used to mad men.

Rendar was at the bar deep in conversation with a native alien. It had, as many species of the Outer Rim did, reptilian origins. Green scaly skin covered most of the visible part of its body while tight bulging muscles flexed underneath its skin causing the scales to change colour in the dim light. It wore an earth coloured poncho, smeared with streaks of green dirt, with a dark sleeveless gown underneath that reached below his ankles.

The conversation was not going well for even without the force it was hard to miss the taught posture and tight jaw of Rendar's companion.

Jazzy music filled the air as the resident band of native females struck up a tune that sounded uncomfortably familiar to Luke's ears. It was a song he had heard so long ago in the cantina where he had first met Han.

_Strange how songs can travel so far_…_strange how different his situation was now…strange how he felt like a completely different person. _

Thankfully Leia did not understand the significance of the lilting melody.

"Man, what drinks do they serve here! This tastes like rotten cabbage!" exclaimed Lando in disgust as he set down the one drink on the table.

Chewie roared despondently and pulled out a container of water from his sack. Lando hastily grabbed the tankard and gulped down half of its contents to wash the disgusting taste from his mouth.

"I wonder what they're talking about?" muttered Leia, who had not taken her eyes off Rendar for the past half hour. She was tense but worn; Luke could see the weariness in her posture but her eyes still blazed with burning determination…determination to save Han.

Rendar was concluding his deal with the native, who did not look at all pleased despite the large amount of credits Rendar pressed into its palm. They left together to approach the rest of the party seated in the main area of the cantina.

"Guys, this is Kirroyr Kicomi," said Rendar introducing his business partner without his usual jovial tone. The alien was several inches shorted than Rendar but for more muscular.

"Call me Kay," he muttered in a low grating voice that almost reminded Luke of _Vader_.

"He'll be supplying us with some spare parts for the ship and extra ammunition. This is -," Rendar was cut off by an extended green claw.

"I don't know and I don't care, business is business," the green alien recited solemnly.

"Well sure but you gotta call us something…right, you know I'm Dash…the girl over there is -,"

"I'm Breha, that's Lucky," Leia said pointing casually to Luke who couldn't help but grin at the ironic nick name, "and he's Jix." She motioned to Lando who looked affronted "The wookie's only got a nickname and it's Hairball." if Chewie could raise an eyebrow he would have done so, "Out freighter broke down just outside of town, but I'm sure Dash's told you everything already. Anyway Jix'll be fixing the ship so give whatever parts you've got to him."

If Dash was impressed by the princess's versatility, he did not show it. Instead he gestured for them to leave the dingy cantina, an action that Luke had been anticipating.

The street outside was not much better than their previous location but at least the air was breathable and visibility was high. The buildings were drab but orderly and the streets were cleared of traffic apart from small animal pulled carts that clattered with relative speed. Seedy looking inhabitants peered out from doorways and windows, while street traders shouted their wears in the paved street.

All the shops that lined the high street sold edibles, ranging from grocers to cantinas. There was no a single technical store in sight. The more visible populace seemed to consist of humans and the native species so the small party of travellers did not look too out of place.

"I wonder where we're going," muttered Lando eyeing his surroundings with discomfort. Luke however did not sense any acute signals through the force; instead there was a dull ache of impending doom looming on the horizon. He tried to focus on the positive as Ben had instructed him but peace was illusive and the force stirred restlessly…_something big was going to happen_.

"Luke – no, Lucky, are you still with me here?" asked Lando waving his hands in front of Luke's pensive expression.

"Yeah I'm fine, _Jix_," said Luke pointedly and turned away hastily so that Lando could not see him snigger. _Jix_ _was definitely too common a name for Lando Calrissian_.

Their native guide led them down a small back alley, which was surprisingly devoid of rubbish but by the looks of things the people could hardly afford to throw anything away.

Kay's shop was one built into the back of another larger shop that faced the high street. The front was open to the street so that only a low counter separated the interior from the pavement. Inside Luke could clearly make out pieces of rusty metal and tubs of frayed wires.

"So this is your mechanical workshop," muttered Lando sardonically, "it looks like a dump,"

"Just wait outside I'll be out in a minute with what you want," growled the alien, his baritone voice rumbling through the alley way.

"Don't worry, _never judge a trader by his clothes_," said Dash with a confidence that no one else shared.

So Dash waited impatiently outside the junk shop, nervously glancing about as if expecting an Imperial trooper to hurtle around the corner and catch them unawares. Luke folded his arms and leaned wearily against the nearest wall, which like all its counterparts was coloured brown and marred with streaks of green dirt. The rough texture of the plastering dug uncomfortably through his thin off-white tunic but he had forgotten to bring his orange overcoat along so he endured the sensation.

Lando stared at the walls with air of one who had resigned himself to a life of half truths and perpetual bad luck. Kicking his feet ideally, the trader scuffed at the layers of green dirt building up under the shelter of the counter.

The minutes dragged and only Leia seemed fully alerted when the native finally immerged from his shop pulling a dilapidated crate with wheels. Luke could sense his mood had lightened somewhat. Perhaps he had managed to procure what they needed.

However the crate of mechanical parts was not only thing Kay had bought, behind him lurking in the shadows of the shop was a smaller identical replica of the junk dealer.

"This is my son, Arikki, called him Ari," said the alien proudly as he half dragged the youth from his hiding place. "He'll be helping you fix your ship."

Dash stepped forwards hastily,

"Hey, I'm not paying extra for some -,"

"Don't worry," rumbled the alien native causing the sounds to reverberate around the dingy alley. "I'm not charging extra. I just want him there to make sure you don't steal any of my stuff," explained Kay bluntly.

The creaking wooden crate on wheels was dragged into the sunlight by Dash and the companions hastily rummaged about cautiously in the assortment of rusty, bent machine parts.

Suddenly Luke's hand came in contact with something much smoother than the gritty texture of rusted steel. With an exclamation he pulled out a long sleek coolant, clearly marked with the Imperial logo.

"You -,"

"I deal with Imps, yeah," said Kay, hastily stuffing the coolant back under the layer of spare parts, "you find someone on this planet that don't."

"You didn't buy that," snapped Leia accusingly, "you stole it, the Imperials wouldn't sell coolants particularly of that quality."

"Making money on the side ain't beneath any Imp, temptation's too great. I got plenty of contacts in the Iona Base, including a guy who can get you inside; it'll cost you o' course," the alien's voice dropped to its version of a conspiring whisper, which was considerably louder than the human editing.

"Well, we'll see about that," replied Dash, sounding fairly tempted, "anyway how we gonna get this thing out to the fields? You don't seem to have a speeder handy."

Ari snorted crudely and made strange sniffing noises, which Luke interpreted to be laughter.

"Nobody uses speeders on this planet, cost too much, won't get you nowhere. I got my own husan to take this stuff along. You know," he said waving his sturdy arms about so that his brown poncho flapped erratically, "the animals and the carts."

"Fine," said Dash as expressions of realisation dawned on their faces, "we'll just walk then -,"

"No, no," muttered the alien shaking his head, "I gotta transport for you to Iona Base. My son will take the husan back with ah…" he gestured to Lando clearly having forgotten his name.

"Jix," said Leia helpfully.

"Arikki and Jix will fix the ship, I'll go with you to flying station, get you on the transport."

Luke's optimism returned at the idea of getting to Iona Base immediately. However suspicion was never far behind in his mind these days and the alien did seemed a little too eager…

"What make you think we wanna go there now?" demanded Lando. "I'm not taking all this stuff on my own."

"Look, what kind of transport did you get us?" inquired Luke, hoping the Lando had not insulted their guide.

"A big air bus, leaves in twenty minutes. I bought the tickets late so I got 'em cheap. Anyway, it'll get you to Iona in half an hour," boasted the alien proudly. "Don't worry, my boy knows what he's doing and does what he's told, heh."

"Well if you've already bought the tickets I think we should leave," declared Leia confidently, making it quite clear that she would be leaving even without any tickets.

If the alien could smile he would have probably done so but instead he pulled out three blunt chips and dumped them into Leia's outstretched palm.

"Leia, it could be -," Leia however interrupted Lando before he could incite the Imperials.

"How much?" she demanded.

"Fifty creds," growled the alien stretching out a scaly claw towards her.

"Thirty," snapped Leia unwilling to back down, while Dash watched with different expressions of derisive disbelief.

"Forty five,"

"Forty!"

"Fine," grumbled the alien and took the small cluster of Imperial credits that Leia pulled out from her purse. "Give me the rest of my service fee now, Rendar."

"What?" hissed Rendar, "We're not done yet. No you don't get it until we're back here safe and sound."

"How can I stop the Imps from killing yer when I'm not there?" demanded Kay angrily, waving his arms about while he shouted. "I got no way but to go with you."

Luke looked on feeling a growing sense of frustration, Fett could fly off at any minute and they were spending time arguing about money!

"Well then you won't get it until we return," snapped Dash getting ready to leave but Kay grabbed his arm.

"No I'll come with you," he growled clearly unwilling to let his fortune disappear.

"No you can't -," protested Leia but Luke cut her off.

"Just give him the money, Dash!" cried Luke in frustration, "We have more important things to get one with."

"No, I'm coming with you to make sure you scum don't run off with my money," grumbled Kay still clutching the fabric of Dash's sleeve.

"Look, what we're going to do is very dangerous, you have a son to look after, it wouldn't do to get yourself killed," said Luke using the force to grip his rising anger.

"I'm a tough man, I could help you more -,"

"Oh just let him come, if he gets shot that's his fault!" snapped Leia, her protest suddenly changing direction as if she had sensed Luke's feelings. "We haven't got much time."

"Fine, whatever, Jix you gonna be alright?" asked Dash taking his attention off the alien.

"Sure, I'll be fine, you guys be careful," replied Lando looked somewhat remorseful.

With that the three companions and their alien tag along headed off towards the "flying station" leaving Lando staring at their retreating figures.

_Chasing a bounty hunter in the middle of an imperial base, with nothing but two blasters between the four of them…suicide doesn't begin to describe the situation..._

* * *

The transport was dirty and crowded, not altogether unexpected on such a planet but Luke did not like been squashed tightly against the view port by an obese alien of a specie he could not name. Leia and Dash had procured similar seats; only their neighbours were humans and not distant relatives of Jabba. 

The stench of sweat, beer and rotten food had assaulted his stomach when he first boarded but now there was only a faint tickle of nausea in the back of his throat. Shifting as far away from the seething mass of fat and rough skin as he could manage, Luke pressed his face to grimy glass of view port hoping to catch a glimpse of the countryside while they flew. Small coloured shapes could be seen through the translucent pane and Luke idly wondered what they were.

Across from him Leia remained as dignified as one could be while practically sitting on Dash Rendar's lap, a situation, which Rendar did not seem to mind in the slightest.

_If Han could see this it would thaw him out fast than a laser torch,_ thought Luke, silently sniggering at the idea.

A sudden flood of euphoria swamped his brain as his thoughts strayed to their mission.

_Han was only a few miles away, almost at their fingertips…on the return trip Han would be jostling people out of the way to secure a decent seat for Leia and Luke would be standing next to them sharing a joke over hot food…_

Wistfully, Luke let his imagination conjure up beautiful fantasies as he had done so often back home on Tatooine but the dreams back then had been different, filled with amazing adventures with his hero father.

_Once all this is over he would get back to researching his father. Jedi files were classified but Luke had high hopes in Rebellion resources. **He would find his father**. _

Suddenly the transport shuddered ominously as if it was about to fall pieces, which was not altogether a far-fetched notion. However to Luke's relief they had arrived at Iona Base, or rather _Iona_, the settlement surrounding the Imperial fortress.

There was a scattered gathering of people around the small platform they were due to land on, none of whom were in uniform. Security checks in such a fruitless backwater were clearly an unaffordable luxury.

An immediate scram of bodies and bags ensued as the passengers scrambled to flee the filthy, crowded container. In the midst of the confusion Luke momentarily lost sight of Leia only to see the native alien a few bodies to his left clinging obstinately to a post. Their scaly companion had deserted them in the effort to grab some suitable seats but he had evidently found his way back to the fold, much to the chagrin of Luke.

"Where's…L-Breha?" demanded Luke over the cacophony of grunts and snarls. The alien shrugged carelessly, an action that threatened to destroy Luke's tenuous hold on Jedi tolerance.

"Luke, we're over here," immediately to his left the clear voice of Leia rang out from the heaving mass of bodies, which was thankfully beginning to ease. The obese alien, who had for an unhappy while been Luke's seating companion, suddenly looked over in his direction for the first time and narrowed its small beady eyes.

Perhaps it was simply the paranoia that Luke had developed after the trauma of Bespin that cause him to freeze with fear. The moment had been so slight that no one else could have possibly noticed the change in expression but Luke had seen the suspicion and…_calculation_?

However before he could analyse the alien through the force, the current of people had carried it away down the aisle and out of sight.

Leia appeared to his left and gripped his hand firmly in her own as if he was an erratic toddler about to cross the road.

"Come on, Luke, we'll squeeze in here."

With determination she rudely elbowed several other passengers as she dragged the still speculating Luke into the throng of people.

The spaceport was highly unimpressive even for a small Mid-Rim settlement. Two booths stood by the main entrance selling tickets, while small shabby stalls lined the platforms selling cheap trinkets and unhealthy drinks. The floor was hardly cleaner than that of the transport they had just evacuated while the walls were caked in graffiti and malfunctioning holo-posters.

The shelter was dimly lit by glowing lamps that dangled precariously from the ceiling like giant insects waiting to prey on the unwary. Most of the natural light streamed through the double metal doors of the main entrance, illuminating the unhealthy amount of green dust floating in the air.

Luke felt afraid to breath.

"Come on, we gonna get outta here before the checkers come here!" exclaimed Kay, who had successfully managed to escape the transport without getting trampled. Not that the idea was even plausible, Kay had probably been doing most of the trampling.

"What checkers?" asked Luke feeling a familiar sense of alarm.

"Imps like to keep things here in line from time to time," growled Kay with authority. He gripped Luke's arm and heaved him bodily towards the exit. The others could do little but follow.

The street outside proved to be equally less attractive, but still the stench at least been neutralised with the scent of fresh food. Taverns lined the narrow street, while clattering 'husans' pulled by pack animals dominated the road. There were more people milling about on the street than in Kiyr and the dwellings were taller and of sturdier construction but apart from that, Iona could not distinguished as the capital of the planet.

"So how do we find Fett?" asked Leia rather boldly considering they were currently standing in a street full of potentially hostile aliens and Kay was within hearing range.

"I know someone who might be able to help…" stared Rendar, looking none the worse for ware.

"Fett?" demanded Kay, "Boba Fett?"

"You really are too nosy for your own good!" snapped Leia angrily. Kay's presence proved to be a constant thorn in their side.

"Listen, Lady, I can help you, I know where Fett is; everybody on this planet knows where Fett is!"

That certainly astonished Luke.

"Don't you listen on the transport? Everyone knows Boba Fett, the best bounty hunter there is! He first landed here three days ago in Iona, tried to keep it quite but nothing gets past the Ionians. Anyway he's probably given up hiding 'cos he moved right into Iona Base just this morning and told everyone too."

"He _told _people where he was going?" cried Dash incredulously.

"He's got plenty of people on his back here and he probably figured it was much less hassle than hiding out and keeping it all secret. After all no one can touch him at the Base."

Thinking it through in his head, Luke decided the proposition sounded fairly logical on the surface. _Fett was something of a celebrity amongst criminals, and therefore he probably wished for the privacy of an Imperial Base to sort out his affairs. Three days though, that was something of a mystery. It did not take three days to stock up on supplies and Fett had no reason to linger anywhere with Han in his possession. _

The force was suspicious and so was Luke.

"When is he planning to leave?" asked Luke hoping to pry some more information from Kay. The muscle bound alien struggled causing the scales on his arms to flashed in the sunlight.

"Soon I suppose. Fett has no reason to stay here."

"Well then that's settled, we shall head for Iona Base immediately," said Leia breezily as if they had been discussing the site for a picnic.

"Wow, wait we are not barging into some Imp base just on the information of that guy over there," snapped Dash pointing accusingly at Kay.

"You did hire him, he is after all one of your contacts and, dear Dash, did you not promise only the_ best_?" inquired Leia with feigned innocence.

"But –,"

"Really, come on…Lucky, we've got to start moving."

"Okay, say this guy's right, which I'm not saying he is, how _do_ we get into a heavily fortified Imperial Base with only two blaster between the four of us?" demanded Dash waving his arms emphatically at the blaster clipped to his side.

"It ain't none of my business, but if I'm gonna throw my lot in with you, I deserve to know what's going on here," rumbled Kay in his low grating voice.

"No one asked you to come," snapped Dash, hardly sparing their guide a glance.

"I came to protect my interests and my interests are to keep you alive. Now I don't want to know you life's history but at least tell me what I need to know,"

"Fine," said Leia decisively, "we're going to find Fett because he has something we really want, and if you so much as breathe a word of this to another soul I'll shot you myself."

Kay nodded smoothly, clearly used to death threats in his shady dealings.

"If you want to get into the base you've got to use the service tunnels," he said simply. "I've been there more than once to get the nice parts I gave you -,"

"Listen, we should discuss this elsewhere," said Luke nervously. The force was elusive to his touch again as if drawn to some other source.

Dash's idea of 'another place' was another cantina, which was just as smoky as the previous one.

Settling down into one of the more secluded booths, the companions and their alien guide glanced feverously around to sight potential eavesdroppers. There were few sober patrons in the cantina and therefore the chances of being overheard were slight.

"The Base has underground service tunnels running into the surrounding settlements. My friend operates in one of them and I use them often to visit the Base," grumbled Kay clearly not afraid to be overheard. Shady dealings were the norm on this force forsaken moon and Luke frequently felt uneasy associating with such unscrupulous characters. However as Han always said 'the ends justifies the means' and right now Han was their first priority.

"So where do these 'service tunnels' lead and are they well guarded?" inquired Dash, whom Luke guessed, was feeling somewhat redundant now that Kay had managed to propose a better plan of rescuing Han. The force flowed thinly about the man, ebbing away slightly as Luke tried to concentrate on Rendar's signature. The light had become disturbed and weak, almost as if _something_ was interfering with its transmission to Luke.

"Guarded? The Imps are short of money; they can't even cover their own security let alone worry about the plumbing. Anyway I can get us into the Base no problem. The tunnel I use leads right into the boiler rooms and after that we can make our way up to the main sector without being seen. The Imps have recently pulled down the security cameras in the lower levels of the base 'cos they can't afford the surveillance."

Kay sounded almost casual in his relay of the facts, as if it was common knowledge.

"Well, the situation is definitely looking up," remarked Leia smoothing out her crumpled gown that had been smeared with unknown filth during the course their misadventures. However Luke did not look any better and without Leia's natural dignity and authority, he looked, for the most part, like the low life criminal most Imperials deemed him to be.

"Alright you get us to this _friend_ of yours and we'll discuss a payment," snapped Rendar, his jealously showing in not so subtle ways.

"He'll be near the sewage disposal plant," informed Kay and stood up to leave. The companions followed feeling for the most part encouraged yet apprehensive of the possible developments.

* * *

The waste disposal planet at Iona was reminiscent of the primitive technology that existed on Tatooine. Huge corroded iron wheels swirled the slug around in vast tanks, two metres tall and many meters in diameter. The stench was appalling as one would expect of an uncovered sewage works. However, the companions were getting used to unpleasant smells. 

Kay's friend turned out to be of the same native species and consequently looked uncomfortably similar to Luke.

Youchi Yomoni turned out to be the chief inspector of plumbing and sewage disposal at Iona Base. Working for a private company which lent its services to the Imperial Base, he was not above bribery.

"You wanna use the tunnels, it'll cost ya," he growled menacingly, almost forcing Luke's mind back to the horrific memories of Bespin and Vader hissing threats through his terrifying mask.

_Why did the force play mock him so? Of all the planets he could have landed on, why did he have to land on a moon filled with native aliens that sounded like **Vader**? _

"How much?" demanded Leia, her authority never wavering.

"Two fifty," rumbled the uniformed alien, holding his metal clipboard up aggressively as if daring Leia to argue. However even though Youchi sounded like Vader he did not possess the same unshakable disposition, for one stern glower from Leia served to rid him of the belligerent attitude.

"Fine, two zero, I'm making you a good deal here," grumbled the alien tucking his clipboard under his arm reproachfully.

"No way, one hundred is the highest we'll go!" cried Dash clearly feeling scandalized at having to pay such a heft price for using the plumbing system.

"One fifty," conceded Youchi and slouched against the side of the outdoor tanker they were currently standing beside.

"Fine, one fifty it is, but you'd better be right here when we get back," threatened Dash as he fingered his blaster. Youchi looked unperturbed,

"I got nowhere else to go."

Leading them smoothly through the maze of tankers, machinery and spare parts that litter the ground, Youchi finally stopped in front of a small dilapidated hut sporting an Imperial warning sign that was so faded Luke found it impossible to make out the words.

"Just climb down the ladder, but be careful 'cos it's a bit rusty," commented Kay as he wretched open the wooden door, showering everyone with small splinters.

There was a hole in the bottom of the hut, which glowed sickly with green light and as Luke bent down to inspect he could see the ladder stretching down into the dark interior of the tunnel. The there was, surprisingly, only a faint smell of mould emitting from the mouth of the shaft.

Taking a deep breath Luke gathered the force about him as best he could but only thin firm of energy coated him. The first rung shook under the strain of his weight and for one terrible moment he though the ladder would collapse and send him tumbling to his death. However Kay's voice urged him onward,

"Keep going, I'll be right behind you."

Mustering his courage Luke continued his decent, each step causing the ladder to shake until he accustomed to the conditions and started to gain confidence. However as soon as Kay put his weight on the ladder, a shockwave tore through the ladder nearly dislodging Luke in the process.

"Keep going," growled Kay, "there's another two coming down you know,"

Suddenly an idea occurred to him, _he was Jedi, and he could land comfortably if he summoned the force and jumped_. _It would save time and time was more precious than gold right now_.

The force rallied feebly to his call and as he launched himself from the rungs, Luke was forced to grip the energy with all his might to prevent it from slipping away.

A startled cry rang out above him and the small figure of Kay glimmered eerily in the green light.

"I'm fine, hurry up everyone," called Luke as he surveyed the area. The bottom of the round tunnel was damp and a small trickle of water run down the centre. Green stains appeared at random intervals along the wall under permanent streams of dripping water. The dank, musty smell had increased in strength but Luke was not bothered anymore. There was only one thing left on his mind, _Han_.

_If he had been any older or wiser_, Luke reflected, _the current situation would have been absolute folly but their small band of miscreants relied on folly for success and they had been successful thus far_.

It took several minute for all four of them to descend into the body of the tunnel, by which time Luke swept the area using the force and had detected no life forms, gentile or otherwise. He had previously thought that rats or some other form of rodent would take up residence in here, but with the flourishing rubbish tips of Iona above, they clearly found this place distasteful in comparison. However he had for a fleeting moment sensed something _dark_…a faded signature…

"Right…Lucky do you think there is anyone down here?" demanded Leia after straightening out her long dirty gown, which did not appear to be much of a hindrance to the princess.

"No, I think we should hurry, Fett may be leaving soon,"

Kay growled somewhat menacingly and all three of them turned around to look at him.

"I smell something…someone's been down here before us and it isn't one of the personnel,"

Luke had not previously given any consideration to the abilities of the native species for he had been too absorbed with his annoyance to fully appreciate what Kay had to offer.

"What? Over all this stench?" demanded Dash rather too loudly for his voice echoed gloomily around the cavernous tunnel.

"We Kirrior have strong sense of smell of the living, which is how we used to hunt prey in the days before civilisation," explained Kay simply. "I sense that someone had been here before us…a human." A tight knot of fear developed in Luke's throat.

"Well, the Imperials must patrol these tunnels on occasion or maybe it was simply another person like us…" said Luke hopefully.

"It does not matter," said Leia forcefully, "we have already come this far I will not turn back,"

"I never said anything about turning back," rumbled Kay, "simply to warn you that we are not the only ones here."

"It doesn't matter," quipped Luke "whoever it was they've gone now."

Leia and Dash did not bother to question him about his senses and the party trotted up stream through the concrete tunnel glowing eerily in the green light of the lamps that hung over head. Their footsteps where the only sound that broke the continuous drip-drip of water.

The tunnel curved and bent so frequently that Luke had lost all sense of orientation by the time they finally arrive at the small hatch.

"This is it, normally the boiler room is not guarded but it might be. My dealer is an officer on the third floor and thus I have never ventured beyond that. Fett would most likely be somewhere in the main sector."

Luke pressed a palm to the discoloured paint of the hatch. It was barely big enough for one man to fit through; they would have to enter in single file which did not bode well particularly if there was an ambush.

_Had he always been so distrusting? The alien on the transport had merely looked at him for a split second and yet he had read conspiracy in the glance. The Leia had only ever wanted what was good for him and yet he felt betrayed. Perhaps it was Vader's fault…everything was Vader's fault now a days. Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith had become his scapegoat, a convenient cardboard villain to pin the misfortunes of life on. But Vader had wronged him in so many ways, impossible to list so perhaps it was… 'All Vader's Fault'. _

"We must hurry before someone notices we're here," whispered Rendar fugitively, as if he knew there was a legion of stormtroopers headed their way.

"I'll go in first," offered Luke, "I have the fastest reflexes."

Momentarily Luke remembered the dilemma of his lightsabre, with Kay present it was imprudent to utilise the weapon. However if Kay was intrigued by his force abilities, he most certainly did not show it and the alien was already privy to some of their most intimate secrets…besides he no long owned a blaster; the lightsabre was his life.

Keying in the code with the familiarity of a man bored with repetitive actions, Kay swiftly disengaged the locking mechanism and the small hatch swung open of its own accord.

The boiler room was not operational; the Imperials were clearly very short on supplies. Layers of dust had gathered on the equipment and the ground was littler with peeling paint. The machinery was eerily quite and Luke felt a sudden sense of uneasy spread through his stomach, which should have accompanied by a warning from the force. However the energy remained quiet and elusive as if reigned in by an unimaginable power.

Nodding slightly Luke climbed through, and landed silently on the dusty ground. No recent footprints could be seen but an immediately analysis of the area via the force was not possible, it had withdrawn even further into the void leaving Luke feeling lost and confused. However he dared not voice his concerns, a Jedi loosing control was a terrifying thing to the force-blind. Fear crept back into its strong hold at the pit of Luke's stomach.

"There's no one here, thankfully," muttered Kay heaving his bulky body through the tight opening. Dash and Leia managed to enter with more grace and they stood behind Luke as if waiting for him to make a move.

Leadership was a duty he did not shirk from, but today a strange sense of satisfaction filled his feelings as he found himself in the top position. _I am a Jedi and they look to me for protection…_

"Kay, where is the nearest turbolift?" asked Luke, trying to cover up for his complete lack of planning.

"Down the corridor, no surveillance so we'll get there in no time. The Main Sector spans four floors but they are well guarded, particularly the fourth floor where the main entrance is. However I reckon that your quarry will be located in one of the upper floors. Fett has Imperial backing of the highest degree," said Kay meaningfully.

"Penetrating the main sector will be difficult," concluded Luke. "We must be wary and alert. Destroy any cameras you see, even if you think they are not functioning. We shall go to the fifth floor and start our search from there…"

The plan sounded like something Uncle Owen would call a wild Bantha chase but Aunt Beru said to always have hope and right now hope was the only thing Luke had.

Like four silent shadows the companions crept into the main corridor, which after circumspect showed to be deserted. The Imperials did not need to come down here, after all the boiler room was not functioning. Sucking in the force with all his might, Luke tried in vain to discern some life signatures. There were several on the floor above but they flicker and died in his mind's eye and he could no longer track them.

"There are people on the next floor but none in the vicinity," whispered Luke despite his brave words. "We will make for the lift as fast as possible."

They broke into a run, their speed hindered by the desire to remain silent. Kay was remarkably light on his feet for such a bulky build and soon Luke him in the lead by several paces.

Beckoning to the double grey doors of the turbo-lift, Kay hastily pressed the up button and pressed himself to the off-white wall.

It was several seconds before the lift opened that Luke realised that it was occupied, a fault that he blamed on the fickle force. With a flash he drew his lightsabre and stepped to one side. An unspoken communication spread through the group. Dash and Leia drew their blasters and stood to the other side.

With an ominous ping the doors sprung open to reveal an ensign obliviously clutching a small package.

With a flash of force enhanced speed Luke rushed into the lift and struck the boy with the hilt of his lightsabre, a tricked he had learnt off Ben Kenobi. The body slumped onto the floor with a muffled thud.

The excursion left Luke panting for he could not summon enough of the force to aid his stamina.

Nothing was said as the lift ascended but Luke could tell even Rendar felt the impending future was something that none of them was willing to talk about. The air between them hung thick with apprehension.

As the metal box clattered upwards, the small numbers illuminated on the dashboard…1…2…3…4. Leia stood transfixed in front of the panel of numbers silently counting the floor numbers. Every passing second bought them closer to Han.

Finally a small ping announced the arrival at their destination, floor five. Luke did not bother to stretch out to the force this time, because he knew that it would not respond in time. As the grey steel doors to prepared to open, Luke readied himself for the worst. A wisp of emotion trickled from the force…_**was it trying to tell him something**?_

A cold resounding clang of the doors springing open shattered Luke's ever fading connection with the force causing him to reel back in shock, a dark pain blossoming once again in the back of his head.

A black shiny nozzle, polished to perfect stared down at him from its prime position, poised in front of his forehead. A seasoned, gruff voice issued from behind the seemingly vast black hole dominating his vision.

"Put your weapons down and no one gets hurt,"

_Fett had been expecting them._

"What a very charming reception…"

* * *

**AN:** Long but necessary. Luke meets Daddy Dearest in the next chapter…really he's going to be demented. 

**Please review else I'll think I'm unloved…**


	7. Impersonation

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 6. Impersonation

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett, Tremayne.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Review Thanks:** **VFSNAKE, Darthgladiator45, Xenia Marvolo, Jessie237, Treenahasthaal, Vionesse, Cyranothe2nd, zzlostdreamerzz, SisterDear, mlgm, Sunflower.**

* * *

**AN:** I have joined chapters 6 and 7 together which is why you didn't see them on my web page (I'm really sorry). I'm also making a new star wars mini website but I'll still keep posting new Illusionist chapters on my current homepage.

So to clarify matters: the next 2 chapters (or one long chapter)should be up on my homepage by **Wednesday 5th of April**.

* * *

"_Put your weapons down and no one gets hurt," _

_Fett had been expecting them._

"_What a very charming reception…"_

Slowly, the trio of captives raised their hands, never taking their eyes off the bounty hunter.

"Move out," Fett demanded gruffly and jerked his blaster to emphasise the order.

Edging forwards Luke exited the lift and immediately found himself held in a strong headlock by the armoured bounty hunter. _That was definitely not a wise move…for either of them. _

"Don't give me any grief and your friend remains unharmed," stated the rough yet emotionless voice. There was no hint of perverse pride or subtle apprehension, in Fett's voice. It stayed level with a profession calmness that Luke only attributed to Jedi.

"What do you want?" demanded Leia her eyes suddenly flashing with charged emotion. Fear, anger and hatred rippled through their currently weak force connection; emotions of the dark side, that Luke had become overtly familiar with.

"The Empire's bounty," replied Fett, gracing the princess with only half a glance before settling his masked gaze on Dash and Kay.

"You two, move out," Fett repeated and Luke felt the cold nozzle of the blaster hovering just above his temple. The cold armoured arm across his neck tightened considerably, causing him to choke, which was no doubt the initial intention.

"Alright, you got us, no need to take it out on the kid. _You never know who's backing him up_," quipped Rendar.

A frozen hand gripped Luke's heart tighter than the arms across his neck and squeezed so forcefully that he thought for a moment his fragile organ might shatter under the strain. The air hitched in his throat and he struggled to breathe as his heart fluttered and struggled to regain control.

A strange gurgling sound interrupted the pounding in his ears and suddenly the bar across his neck loosened.

"Stop strangling him!" screamed Leia her raised hands striking out towards the bounty hunter's armour. Thankfully she stopped herself in time before the scene could turn ugly.

Fett spared him a quizzical look, or at least Luke thought it was, for the force had all but deserted him as he tired in vain to connect with the once abundant energy. Luke felt a flicker of fear darted across his features; he was useless now without the force, like a fish flopping helplessly on a chopping board.

"He's fine," growled the monotone voice. "Now get moving."

Suddenly out of the corner of his eyes Luke saw Dash move with lightening speed. In a flash of bright light a shiny blaster had appeared in Rendar's hand, poised to shrike the bounty hunter. Luke felt his head jerk backwards as the nozzle of Fett's blaster dug into his temple and the arm tightened like a metal band across his throat.

"Don't be stupid, Rendar," replied Fett. An undercurrent of anger interrupted his otherwise monotone speech.

"You aren't going to kill Luke, Vader wants him alive," laughed Rendar as he twirled his blaster dangerously in his right hand. Their alien companion stiffened at the sound of Luke's name, but Luke did not have time to dwell on this.

"The princess -," started Fett as he removed his blaster from Luke's temple.

It was now or never, in the split second that Fett's attention was divided; Luke summoned what was left of his failing strength and yanked the armoured arm over his head for he was much shorter than the burly hunter. The move temporarily threw Fett off balance and he stumbled forwards, his blaster angled too far down for a decent shot at anyone.

The snap hiss of his lightsabre filled Luke's ears and his swung it sharply towards the bounty hunter hoping to distract him from the defenceless Leia. However this proved inconsequential for Leia had pulled out her blaster, which had been expertly concealed in the folds of her gown and proceeded to shoot erratically at Fett.

The bounty hunter rolled sideways away from the torrent of fire from both and Leia and Rendar. Luke followed in hot pursuit as Fett leapt into a side corridor but a surge of blue blaster bolts forced him backwards as he tried to deflect them. Deflection was partial success but several blasts struck the ceiling charring the concealed wiring. Huge burning sparks spewed from the smoking tiles; flying erratically in all directions causing Luke to crouched down and protect his eyes from the blaze.

In the distance an alarm sounded.

"Run!" cried Dash. A suddenly sizzle and a metal ceiling tile was blown from its perch. It dangled precariously over their heads by a piece of blackened wire, creaking ominously in the silent void left by the abrupt explosion. Without hesitation Luke scrambled across the distance between them as best he could with an ignited lightsabre in his hand.

The shower of sparks renewed as the current resumed its efforts to continue the flow, this time with more vigour than before. Huge bright explosions ensued, blinding them with the ferocity of light. A crash followed and a large section of the ceiling smashed into the spot where Luke had been just a few seconds before.

As they recovered their senses from the explosion, Leia gripped Luke's arm tightly and they both hurtled towards the left passageway, with Rendar and Kay right on their heels.

The passage way was wide and well lit but they barged their way along as fast as possible, running four a breast. Several seconds later as they neared a cross junction, Luke hastily looked back to see if Fett has followed but the long straight corridor was empty and in the distance he could still see the sparks spurting from the ceiling.

"Which way?" cried Leia as she stopped to take account of her surroundings. Kay breathed ruggedly before replying,

"Left! The fire exit is nearby!"

"I though you hadn't been to this level-," protested Dash as he tried to study the plaques welded onto the shiny silver walls. However Leia did not hesitate and dragged Dash along with her was they ran down the left passage way. Luke followed in hot pursuit, hoping fervently that Fett had abandoned the chase.

However on reflection he found that it would have been wiser to keep the hunter within sight range.

As they rounded a corner in the passageway, Luke saw the distinct sign of a fire escape, welded to a large yellow door.

"Through there!" he cried as he ran over to wretch the door open. It offered little resistance and Luke ran through the doorway into the dark, cold stairwell inside. A large luminous sign on the wall indicated that they were on level five.

"Where's Han being kept?" demanded Leia as she rounded on Rendar.

"I don't know, lady, I was supposed to ask a friend of mine on that but you dragged us -,"

"Chances are," interrupted Luke as he shut the door behind them, "Han's still on Fett's ship, cos he needs a quick getaway. We need to get to the central hangar bay, that's where Fett will be keeping his ship."

"Main ship hangar's on the seventh level," said Rendar as his legs twitched, itching to keep on running.

"We'll never make it," growled Kay angrily. The deep grating voice suddenly assaulted Luke with the images that he had been trying to keep at bay for so many weeks.

Vader, his commanding tone stretching out a strong gloved hand towards Luke… 

"We have to go down to the basement and climb back into the pipes –,"

Mentally Luke cursed himself for letting his emotions run wild again, there was too much at stake here to allow his attention to be diverted.

"Listen, if you don't want to come then go," hissed Leia as she scaled the stairs two at a time, with Luke not far behind. With an air of resignation, Kay shrugged his shoulders and bundled after them his bulky build hindering his progress somewhat.

Heedless of the racket they made, the four companions clattered their way up the seemingly never-ending staircases. Far away in the distance muffled by the thick steel walls, came the wailing sound of alarms blaring.

Level Seven was like every other level in the Imperial base. Wide well lit corridors contained no hiding places and the durasteel ceiling contained cameras at regular intervals. Hence when they emerged from the fire escape, a sense of hopelessness wash over Luke, which he quickly shoved aside to accommodate more useful emotions…_like fear_.

Fear, he found, heightened the senses and dosed the blood with adrenalin until he felt that he no longer needed the force.

"Which way?" Luke asked as he swerved around to face Kay and Dash.

"Follow the signs," growled the alien in between sharp breaths. Sticky green sweat was smear across his forehead, which emitted a powerful odour of dirt and fermenting apples.

"Main hangar bay that way," said Dash shortly as he pointed to a column of copper plaques, with arrows and words carved uniformly on the polished surfaces.

"Primary Hangar Bay 12, South Entrance" 

"There will be many troopers looking for us," muttered the alien as he bent over with fatigue, "it is wise to remain as quiet as possible. If we see them coming we can hide in the rooms." He gestured awkwardly to the doors set at regular intervals along the walls. "There are bound to be some that are unlocked."

"Yeah like the ones that are occupied," snorted Dash cynically and gripped his blaster tightly to his chest. "I can't see how we're going to get out of this one alive,"

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Don't just stand here debating about our doom, we have to _leave_!" cried Leia as she ran down the passageway towards the hangar bay. Luke had no choice but to follow. Behind him he could hear Dash cursing his bad luck.

For several minutes of frantic, yet muffled sprinting, they met no resistance and the copper plaques that appeared at random intervals guided them silently to their quarry. However no one had a clear idea of what was to be done once they arrived at the hangar bay.

_Surely there must be a massive amount of security, _thought Luke as he sprinted after the surprising athletic princess,_ particularly as we have already set off the alarms. What will we do? But we've got this far haven't we…without even making half a plan. Perhaps the force is still with us…_

There was little room for thought as Dash, who had overtaken Luke, suddenly halted causing Luke to stumble behind him.

"What -,"

Dash Rendar swerved around and gripped his mouth tightly. With a fluid motion he gestured for Kay to try the doors at either side of the corridor.

"There are troopers up ahead, I can hear them," whispered Rendar as he slowly released his hold on Luke's mouth. "We must hide."

With bated breath Luke watched as Kay slowly pushed open an unlocked door several paces behind where they had corrugated like speeders behind a crash. Wordlessly Kay indicated that the room was clear and they hurried over as mutely as possible.

The small room seemed to belong to a junior officer, for the desk occupied most of the room, on it stood two terminals and piles of datapads, not all work related. Holoposters of celebrities adorned the walls, their subjects surprisingly well dressed as though coming from social functions. A small nameplate lay on the table, meekly stating that the room belonged to an "Ensign Jirr". The computer terminal was glowing brightly in the unlit room and the screen displayed a list of contact numbers of officials with ranks that Luke had never heard of.

Rendar gestured for Leia to hide under the desk but a mute _no_ was asserted by her flushed features, so they stood huddled together in a corner of the room, afraid to touch anything that might betray their location.

Beyond the closed door, the sound of shouting and running increased as a squad of storm troopers came barrelling down the corridor where the companions had just been. Thankfully their destination was far away and the heavy footsteps passed the door without hesitation. Luke let out a breath he did not realise he was holding.

However a door slammed in the corridor beyond them and Luke instantly stiffened with fear. A pair of incompatible footsteps could be heard clattering down the hallway towards them and sharp voices carried clearly through the thin metal door.

"What was that?" a voice demanded haughtily, not far from their door.

"I believe there has been a breach of security, sir," replied the other voice respectfully.

"Is Lord Vader not in the building?"

Luke's heart skipped a beat and then pounded erratically in his chest until he was sure his heartbeat had become audible. Cold, wretched fear encased his chest in a tight band so that he could no longer breath. Perhaps he was gasping, he could no longer tell now as black spots were wavering before him eyes. The clammy sense of nausea welled from deep inside his stomach, until he could almost taste the acidic tang on his tongue. Desperately he grabbed for support as his legs threatened to give way and ended up leaning heavily on the table, while the sickness slowly dissipated.

"He is, sir, only he -,"

"I know he ordered that security breaches were not to be responded to," snapped the first voice, "I want to know why that squadron is barrelling down the corridor!"

The blood must have drained from his face because it felt numb and prickled, as if it had been exposed to the icy winds of Hoth. After what seemed like hours of rhythmic pounding echoing inside his head, his heartbeat slowed and the band across his chest loosened sufficiently for him to breath.

Luke looked up hurriedly to see the other's reactions but no one spared him a glance; they too were ashen faced with dread.

"I will stop them at once if you wish, sir,"

"I see no point, they're not mine anyway," grumbled the superior officer, "Lord Vader wants the rebels to be lured into the hangar bay, the troopers might encounter them going in the opposite direction."

"Would you like me to report it to Lord Vader, sir?"

"Report this to Inquisitor Tremayne, Lord Vader will no doubt be too busy to deal with erratic clones. When you get a reply, inform me," ordered the first voice coldly and its accompanying footsteps faded down the hall.

However, all feelings of relief evapourated when they realised that the other man was approaching their very door.

Silently Dash signalled for them to move behind the door so that they would not be seen immediately and Luke found himself at the end of the misshapen line, meaning that he would have the unpleasant task of disposing of Ensign Jirr.

The footsteps halted momentarily before the door and Luke raised the hilt of his lightsabre above his head, ready to execute the necessary blow. Automatically he reached out to the force for guidance, only to find weak shadows that appeared momentarily and darted away from his consciousness. The hilt was slippery with sweat and for an awful moment his grip temporarily slackened and the hilt slide nearly slipped from his palm.

However he did have time to dwell on the frightening consequences, as the Ensign's voice greeted him ears.

"…Maybe I should use Loric's comm. It's functioning at least. Besides I don't want Inquisitor Tremayne contacting my office in that state and a cup of coffee beforehand won't hurt…"

The soliloquy trailed off and the Ensign's footsteps retreated once more having obviously decided to follow his own advice.

The collective sigh of relief was so loud that Luke was sure they could be heard from the corridor. However the reflective Ensign was long gone and they were, for the time being, as safe as rebels could get inside an Imperial base.

Talking had been abandoned as a form of communication and they signalled rather ineffectively with each other to exit the room. Dash, being the slaphappy smuggler that he was, simply ignored precautions when they did not suit him and proceeded to speak rather loudly,

"Well, he's gone now-," he was temporarily interrupted by Luke's hand which had succeeded only in covering half of his notably large mouth,

"There's no one there, Kid," Dash scoffed as he removed Luke's hand from its position, "anyway, Vader knows we're here so I don't see why we should be scared of a few little Imps anymore. Seems like your '_fan_' has finally arranged a meeting."

Dash chortled at his own joke with an air of self-satisfaction more suited to noble achievements. However it was clear that no one else in the room shared his sense of humour.

"For star's sake, _be quiet_," hissed Leia dangerously as she dragged him down to her eye level.

"We need to get out of here," whispered Luke, finally giving in to the more rational side of his senses. Any remote possibility of rescuing Han had been erased by Vader's mere presence.

A very large part of his consciousness that had not succumbed to the calming influences of Jedi training was screaming for him to _run_. There was no way that he, a half trained boy, could possibly face up to Vader in a duel. Bespin was too deeply ingrained in his mind to allow his innate courage and recklessness to gain the upper hand in his decisions.

However even though his legs were threatening to twitch with anticipation and dread, Luke pulled on his best version of the Jedi Master Expression.

"There is no way we can bypass Vader. If he wasn't here then we may have chance but-,"

"We _still_ have a chance, Kid," replied Dash a little too boisterously. "Don't you see? They know where we're here and no one is going to stop us from getting to the hangar bay because all the troops are already in there and Vader has laid a trap. Therefore we're free to roam in the complex."

Dash's phraseology was somewhat inaccurate because Luke did not consider himself _free_ in any meaning of the word.

"Listen," Dash implored, "the Ensign Jirr has just vacated the premises, leaving us with his comm link. All we have to do is alert this "Inquisitor" person that we have been spotted heading for the east entrance to the hangar,"

The blank stares that followed his declaration did not put Dash of in the slightest. Raising his voice a notch he continued with even more determination than before,

"I _was_ an Imperial cadet for five years of my life. Every primary class Imperial hangar has three entrances: east, west and south, relative to the main exit which is always called "north". According to the signs we are heading for the south entrance. Therefore all we have to do is alert the security forces of our imminent arrival from the _wrong _entrance and they will move their troopers accordingly. Once they have shifted their overtly large backsides, we'll have a clear path to Fett's ship."

"Has it ever occurred to you that there are _cameras_ watching us at this very moment?" demanded Leia her voice dangerously low.

"Of course, but you must realise that Vader isn't expecting us to divert from our pre planned route, after all he doesn't know that we've got wind of his plan. Hence we'll just have to hedge our bets on this one advantage and move on from here."

"I agree," rumbled Kay, his low baritone voice echoed eerily around the office and sent a chill down Luke's spine…it sounded too much like _Vader_.

Leia gave him a full blast of her silent scepticism, which to his credit, Kay met with an equally strong determination.

"It must be done, we have no other choice. I don't want to surrender without a fight,"

"We are not surrendering, this plan simply is not going to -," Leia's whispers were cut off cut off as Luke interrupted.

"We can't stand here debating any longer, this is the best course of action," Luke hissed impatiently, fear was beginning to take hold again. Somewhere not far from here he knew Vader would be waiting for him…

"By default," added Leia grudgingly as she found her objections quashed. "If we are going to carry this out we should at least plan -,"

"There's no time!" Luke's urgent whisper sounded more like the vicious hiss of a poisonous snake and he immediately relented. "…Maybe but not here,"

A sudden gleam of clever cunning sparked in Leia's eyes and for a split second Luke was almost reminded of himself about to pull a prank on Uncle Owen.

"Most Imperial officers are not overly familiar with their Ensigns, are they?" she said slowly, "therefore we can easily pass off as Jirr -,"

"That's what I said," interrupted Dash, unwilling to let his ideas be usurped.

"I know, but listen, we aren't going to tell them we're heading for the hangar. Instead we should tell them that our little party is currently heading for the exits. However we don't know which exit our little party will be taking and therefore, the men from the hangar must be diverted in order to capture us before we manage to escape from a 'not-so-well' protected exit."

Leia's normally eloquent rhetoric seemed to have abandoned her but even through the jumbled terminology, the idea shone through.

"It'll never work," grumbled Dash sceptically, "why would they divert the well placed troops. There are plenty of other divisions they can employ to scour the area."

"Don't you see, Vader has obviously directed all the troopers in the vicinity to be positioned in the hangar, which is why we have met so little resistance. He can't risk Luke's Jedi powers being unleashed,"

Luke almost cringed at the statement. They held so much faith in him but in reality he was just a fraud. A boy, barely out of adolescence, with a lightsabre he didn't know how to use.

"Therefore," continued Leia, obviously getting rather excited by her idea, " we will be able to convince the 'Inquisitor' person to divert his troops. We can use the comm link to call him now, but make sure you turn off the visual…"

Dash looked highly reluctant but Kay forced his hand. Slowly, as if anticipating an electric shock, he gingerly picked up the comm device and fiddled with the buttons.

"Should I speak?" he asked even though he knew what the answer would be. Luke nodded in response, the nerves were slowly but surely creeping back in but there was also an undercurrent of excitement. The kind of excitement he had not felt since his school days when he and Biggs used to prank teachers. The same sweet taste of rebellion against authority lingered just out of reach, causing him to feel a little nostalgic.

The comm link buzzed to life and Dash hesitantly peered at the screen of the terminal, Inquisitor Tremayne was listed as having one of the top priority codes. Meticulously Dash punched the numbers into the device. Taunt lines had formed across his face but other than that he did not betray the fear Luke knew he must be feeling.

The comm crackled to life and a well-formed, precise voice greeted them.

"Inquisitor Tremayne speaking,"

A mixture of excitement and fear became evident on Dash's face as he brought the device closer to his mouth.

"Ensign Jirr, speaking," replied Dash in a well-practised military tone.

"Proceed, Ensign," the voice did not sound impatient, as Luke had expected, for an Ensign was a lowly officer. Instead Tremayne sounded almost apprehensive, as if he had been anticipating bad news.

"We have confirmed visuals of the rebel infiltrators proceeding to exits LT5 on the seventh level. We are not yet sure which exit they will take; my superior officer has demanded that I report the situation to you immediately,"

Dash seemed to be playing his role well while the other waited with bated breath as the Inquisitor paused to digest the information.

"Proceed to send as many storm troopers as possible to guard all the exits on Level Seven. I will divert some of my forces to assist you. Inform your commanding officer, immediately." The transmission was cut short leaving only a heavy silence in the room.

Their plans were taking shape.

"It worked," muttered Dash breathlessly as he gazed at the comm link in amazement.

"We don't know that yet," growled Kay grimly. "He may contact the commanding officer to confirm our story, we must get moving now,"

Hurriedly they slipped out of the small cramped officer and into the brightly lit corridors with floors gleamed like mirrors. A strange sense of vulnerability gripped Luke and he felt almost like a prey animal caught out in the open.

"Blasters on hand," said Leia calmly. "Dash which entrance shall we head for? Shall we still keep to the South one?"

"No, we should use the East entrance," cut in Kay before Dash could form an answer, "The East entrance opens onto a sheltered balcony above the hangar bay. We'll be better concealed there."

"Good, we'll do that then," said Luke hoping to keep his voice calm and even. "Let's go,"

They sprinted towards the T-junction at the end of the corridor where three shining copper plaques hung on the wall. Luke was the first to reach them and pivoted left into a narrower passageway and the others followed blindly in his wake.

The force was still distant and muffled as though Luke was trying to see through a frosted window. Strange distorted shapes greeted his senses as he tried yet again to connect with the force.

Suddenly the sound of thudding footsteps greeted his ears, far too close for comfort. As Luke halted to take bearing of his surroundings, he felt the bulk of Dash Rendar slam into his back, knocking the wind out of him and causing them both to sprawl clumsily onto the floor.

"Watch where -," Leia's exasperation was cut short as she too noticed the footsteps.

_A squad of stormtroopers were just around the corner and any minute now they would around the bend and see Luke and Dash sprawled across the floor. _Blind panic obscured Luke's judgement, the thought of capture was too horrifying to contemplate and he scrabbled desperately to throw Dash off.

His muscles were weak without the aid of the force and Dash had to remove himself from the struggling Luke.

There were no doors leading off from the passageway, only a few metal trolleys for transporting equipment were parked against the walls. A spark of inspiration ignited in Luke's mind but there was no time to explain his plan. However that was no needed for Dash seemed to have reached the same conclusion as he grabbed a heavy metal trolley as wretched it from its parking place.

"What are you -," demanded Leia in tight whisper as she spun around desperately hoping to find somewhere to take shelter but it was too late, the footsteps increased steadily in clarity until Luke was sure he could distinguish the individuals in the march.

They were rounding the corner… 

With an unprecedented burst of speed Luke pushed his trolley forwards, his footsteps clattering on the hard floor, behind him Dash followed suit. He could see the first trooper; the armoured head had turned towards him. The other lines appeared close behind but he was already far too close for them to lift their blasters.

A jarring jolt shot through Luke's hands as the heavy metal trolley careered into the lines of troopers knocking them off their feet. He gave one final push and the trolley accelerated forwards, quite unhindered by the resistance of the clone's armour.

Beside him Dash's trolley ploughed through the lines sending several trooper's flying sideways. It would have been comical if their lives had not been in danger.

There was no time to gloat, for several clones were already clambering up as the trolleys over the shot the four lines of white armour and crashed into the wall. Luke ignited his light sabre and tried desperately to connect with the force. The presence of the weapon seemed to have a positive effect and a weak strand of energy connected with his senses.

Behind him he heard the sizzling sound of blaster fire penetrating the weak white armour. Dash did not have any moral obligations to "fight fair". However Luke could not bring himself to strike the hapless and disorientated clones scattered around him on the floor.

'_A Jedi never strikes the first blow,' _the distant words of Ben Kenobi echoed in his mind _I can't betray him…my** father **wouldn't do this, he was a proper Jedi._

"Luke! What the hell -," Dash's incredulous shouts were drowned out by the shrieking noise of exchange fire. The clones were not so helpless as they first seemed. Several of the more skilled had recovered from the shock and were now firing indiscriminately in their general direction.

Luke ducked.

Swirling his blue lightsabre before him in an unorthodox fashion, he brought the blade forwards to parry the shots and direct them back to their originator. The force was a fickle friend but thanks to his legendary luck, the shots glanced off the sizzling blade back towards the clones, who had conveniently line up in a tightly packed formation. They dropped sporadically but Luke had to focus all his concentration on deflecting the blaster bolts, as the force was being highly uncooperative.

It may have been a long battle or it may have only lasted the few seconds that Luke believed it to have, for he had lost all sense of reality as he twisted, turned and parried without hesitation.

"Kid, move it!" Dash was screaming right down his ear and Luke jumped around with surprise. _Had all the clones died?_

"Come on, we must move before reinforcements arrive!" growled Kay his voice strained with fear. "Fett is still after us!"

Confused and still stunned by the arduous fight, Luke jogged mechanically after his panic stricken friends, wondering why it was that his senses where becoming ever more stymied.

* * *

The East entrance was surprisingly close and they managed to make it without any other encounters. The solid metal doors were an imposing sight. The Imperial Emblem was carved into the metal and it gleamed wickedly in the light of the corridor. 

Stretching out to the force, Luke tried to sense the people behind the door. The energy was stirring languidly in the background, but a void of emptiness seemed to separate Luke from the force and he withdrew in annoyance.

_I must keep myself in check, I really must_, he berated himself.

What was wrong with him? He needed to say focused, like Yoda had said. He couldn't his own emotions cloud his judgement - 

However Luke did not have time to dwell on his thoughts for Dash had pushed open the door…

Perhaps the force was still with them because by some unimaginable miracle the balcony was totally devoid of guards. It seemed a little use entrance for the floor was strewn with metal crates and pieces of unidentifiable machinery.

_Strewn did not paint an accurate portrait,_ thought Luke as he scanned the region, _nothing was ever disorderly in an Imperial Base. The crates were stacked neatly along the wall on either side of the door, the mechanical parts were sorted in piles, the packaged and the unpackaged. _

_Different boxes of plastic wrapping were aligned along the balustrade that looked down upon the hangar bay. However there did not seem to be an urgent purpose to the work and the workers had simply left it there half done, not expecting anyone to stumble across their labours_.

"There's no one here," whispered Leia, the awe at their good fortune shone through in her tone.

"No one uses the Eastern entrance," rumbled Kay, trying and failing to keep his voice low "The base is highly unorganised," However, Luke tensed instinctively but pushed his apprehension aside. _They were at least above the floor of the hangar…little chance of being discovered_.

"Shall we crawl over and see what Vader has in store for us?" suggested Leia with sarcastic brightness as she crawled towards the wall of packaging containers that almost obscured the balustrade. Several meters to the right a narrow iron staircase led down to the hangar bay but no one spared it an attention.

They crawled rather unprofessionally forwards; only Dash could do the "military crawl" as Luke had dubbed it. Unfortunately the alliance did not have the money to train its recruits to the same standard as the Imperials; hence the age old mistake of Imperial underestimation rebel forces was born, which was in the end a satisfactory development for the alliance.

Kay's bulk was cumbersome and several times throughout the five second journey to the edge of the balcony Luke thought he might send something crashing down on them and alert the guards to their presence.

As Luke peered cautiously over the top of the wooden boxes, he saw to his amazement that they were in fact two storeys above the floor of the giant hangar. It was not as big as the one on the Death Star but still enormous compared to the hangars at the alliance base. However the size was more to do with appearances than functionality for most of the floor was unoccupied. The TIEs and other fighters were parked neatly in several rows along the walls.

The central space where renovating jobs took place had been cleared and several squadrons of stormtroopers stood to attention around the clear area so that they formed a three sides of a square while the fourth side was formed by a line of strangely dressed men, some with elaborate cloaks of red and brown, while others simply wore tight fitting black.

"Who are those guys?" hissed Luke as he propped up his elbows on the boxes to give a more comfortable position.

"I dunno kid…" muttered Dash his voice laced with a dark under-current of fear. "I haven't seen the likes of them before, but I'll bet their special operatives or something…Vader's not likely to come here without backup."

"Backup? He's got an entire military base and the _Executor_ hovering over our heads," hissed Leia as she scrambled to take another look at the formation.

"Their…Inquisitorius," grumbled Kay as he pulled a fold of white plastic from his face. Suddenly a sense of unease crept into Luke's feelings although he did not know why. _Inquisitorius, he had never heard the name before. _

"Inquisitor Tremayne!" exclaimed Leia from Luke's left side causing him to start, "that's why he was called _Inquisitor_!"

"Not so loud, you'll give the boy a heart attack," growled Kay, the tone of his voice sounded so stern it seemed more Vader-esque than normal and Luke almost laughed despite the churning in his stomach. He could never picturing Vader having a sense of humour, even a dry and sarcastic one.

"So what do these guys do?" asked Dash wiping the sweat that had gather on his brow.

"They serve the Emperor," whispered Kay as his voice dropped suddenly, "they say Inquisitors have the powers of the Jedi. They have lightsabres like young Skywalker,"

The sound of his name almost caused Luke to lose his balance on his knees and he turned around startled at the revelation.

"I'm not stupid, I suspected it was you all along, you're a pretty famous kid. Wish my son had half your guts then he may amount something one day," Kay sounded almost _parental_ and that in conjunction his deep grating voice was more than Luke's mental barriers could bear. _He was going to snap…_

"Luke, are you alright?" whispered Leia looking concerned as she gripped his forearm. He was aware of the blood draining from his face leaving a numb sensation…

_He is not my father! He is not my father! Vader is nothing but a liar…a liar…a liar…_

Words echoed in his head as if he had shouted the truth from the rooftops. He was right, he had to be and it was comforting to know the _truth_. Ben and Yoda had not lied to him…no Vader was the _liar!_

"You knew…" muttered Dash as he eyed the alien with new found respect. "Well…that's _interesting_…"

"Shut up!" hissed Leia her eyes drawn away from Luke, "something's happening,"

The buzzing sound of an intercom radio being switched on hummed ominously in the background as the assembled troopers and Inquisitors, regrouped to hear the broadcast.

A deafening loud voice drummed through Luke's ears as he looked up to see the source of racket. A large rather outdated mega-speaker hung some twenty metres to their left and a short distance below the balcony. It vibrated dangerously with every magnified syllable that passed through its dilapidated shell.

"All units proceed as planned. Rebels have been sited in corridor 73886, they are armed and dangerous. Preliminary visuals confirm that they are heading for the East Entrance. Reinforce security around hangar immediately and proceed as planned."

The crisp, sharp and somewhat condescending voice disappeared with a similar buzzing sound and the sounds of scuffling could be heard below. Luke peered hesitantly over the shield of boxes to get a better view of the small glass transmission station and viewing room that was situated directly below the mega-speaker. It was as all Imperial viewing rooms looked: three rectangular pieces of transparisteel set in a chrome-plated frame, behind which was a wide dashboard with buttons that Luke could not distinguish.

_Thank the force, it's situated below the balcony, or that prat of an officer might actually have seen us!_ thought Luke annoyed yet relieved at the inconvenient location. _But wait, if he can order the troops to move…why can't we?_

The sudden rush of ideas flooded his brain and he tried in vein to sort through the best ones.

"Leia, we have to get to that station!" hissed Luke barely able to contain the welling sense of excitement that was cruising in his bloodstream.

"What?" she did not comprehend his line of thought even though Leia often was the only one who understood his non-verbal signs.

"We have to get to that broadcasting station," repeated Luke wondering how he was going to explain this suicidal plan to the others. "We could trick all the stormtroopers into leaving!"

"Oh and how do you plan to do that, Mr Wise-Guy?" hissed Dash his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"They have to obey Vader and if we can just -,"

"Oh my stars!" gasped Leia her eyes widening with realisation, "Kay can pretend to be Vader!"

"That's my plan," whispered Luke smiling smugly, "we get into the broadcasting station and inform those troopers that they are needed in some other part of the building to stop us from escaping. Then the floor will be clear for us to get to Fett's ship and fly right out of here!"

Dash looked stunned; his eyebrows disappeared into the messy mop of spiky hair. Luke had a feeling Kay would look stunned if he had any eyebrows to display this particular emotion. However there was no time to spare bickering over the pro and cons of the plan.

"Come on, we have to move now before the stormtroopers do something!" hissed Luke unable to contain his excitement.

"I dunno kid, you are so going to get us all killed…" grumbled Dash as he clambered back towards the doorway with the others following close behind.

The metal doors opened of their own accord and Luke's heart nearly skipped a beat but there was no one on the other side and they were free to move stealthily along the deserted corridor.

"It should one of these doors on the left," whispered Luke as a scrutinised the first one he saw, as if trying to see through the grey metal.

"Yeah but which one?" demanded Dash, his voice also set at a permanently raspy whisper. "There must be a dozen of them."

"Listen carefully through the metal," advised Kay as he pressed his hearing organ onto the door, "we should hear some signs of life…there's nothing in here, let's move on."

Slowly and methodically the small group made its way along the corridor, until quite abruptly the sound of cursing reached their ears from inside the last grey door.

"This should be it," whispered Dash in Luke's ear, "I'll kick the door in and you fry the guy with your laser sword,"

Luke was about to protest against the brutality of the plan when Dash leapt backwards and booted the metal door open with a thunderous crash. Seeing no other way out of the situation Luke rushed forwards through the swinging door.

A young officer barely out of the Academy was pressed awkwardly against the dashboard so that he almost bent backwards in his desperation to get away from the intruders. Terror spewed from his being into the force and the faint echoes reached Luke's weak connection with the energy.

"Be quite and keep still," ordered Luke in his most professional voice. "We will not harm you unless necessary,"

The young man gave a wail of fright and cowered against the controls with his hands shielding his face.

"Come here!" snapped Dash who had drawn his blaster. The officer obeyed instantly and he came forwards trembling like a leaf. With out hesitation Dash raised his blaster and brought the heavy barrel down on the top of his head. The body crumpled to the floor and lay quite still on the floor tiles, a small trickled of blood running down its neck.

"You killed him!" exclaimed Leia as she dropped down to examine the officer.

"No, he's just knocked out but I don't know for how long. Quick figure out how this thing works,"

"You could have asked the officer," said Luke with annoyance.

"He wouldn't have told us anything anyway," grumbled Dash as he dragged the body into a more convenient corner of the room. "Now I've got a bit of experience with these comms, though this one does look fairly different…hmm…the on button is that green one,"

"Are you sure?" asked Luke, clearly unwilling to touch any of the overly complicated controls on the dashboard.

"Well press it and see!" hissed Dash as he dropped the limp body on the floor with a thud. Leia moved closer to Luke in order to eye the controls and in doing so she glanced out of the window in front of them.

"Look at the troopers," she said, "they're not moving anymore," and sure enough as Luke peered out into the vast expanse of the hangar bay he could see the small white dots had stopped where they stood, as though gazing at something he could not see.

"Do you think they can see us?" growled Kay as he too leaned in to gape at the scene below.

"No," snapped Luke decisively for he could not bring himself contemplate the implication of _that _happening. "We must hurry; they may be issued new orders at anytime,"

"Press the darn green button, then!" cried Dash as he stomped towards the little huddle and jabbed viciously at the round green piece of plastic that was illuminated from the inside. The internal light blinked twice and vanished abruptly, although it did not make much different in the confusion of blinking lights.

"You broke it!" Kay's tone of astonishment was undeserved but the statement was at least partially right. However Dash took no heed and simply thumped the again button twice as hard as the first time. The button glowed and the comm link buzzed into life. A childish delight radiated from Dash as he hit the button again to turn it off.

"Right now we know how to turn it on, time to start planning the speech,"

"Alright, Kay you say…"

Luke ceased to listen as his mind was dragged off into another train of thought.

_If the button is lit it means it's on…so when we first come in the comm was…on. No it can't be because I couldn't here any crackling on the comm, besides if our voices were being broadcast wouldn't that mean we would be able to hear them too? _

"…Right come on Kay," said Leia encouragingly as she stood aside to let the alien through. "Just sound as menacing and authoritative as possible."

If his biology allowed him to display a sceptically sarcastic expression, Luke was fairly sure it would have appeared on Kay's face. However he could not and so Kay moved in front of the comm link wearing the same expression as he had done several moments ago.

Dash pressed the button with outward confidence, however he let his finger linger a moment too long on the green surface for the trick to be convincing.

The buzzing of the comm filled the room and then disappeared leaving nothing but an ominous ringing in Luke's ears.

_No it can't be…the comm _was_ on!_

However even as he reached out to grab Kay, the alien started to talk.

"This is Darth Vader speaking, all units proceed to western exits immediately…"

Luke waited expectantly for him to continue however the alien reached over and pressed the green button.

"That was it?" asked Luke in a strangled whispered. A heavy sense of foreboding suddenly weighed down on his soul, _it had not been convincing_.

"What more would I have said? Darth Vader is never questioned," growled Kay dangerously and proceeded fumbled awkwardly for something inside his robes. Luke chose to ignore him and turned back to the other two companions standing silently beside the viewing port.

"Is it working?" inquired Luke trying to keep the rising tone of hysteria from breaking through his voice.

"They are moving," muttered Dash grimly, "in the right direction…I suppose we should proceed as planned."

Leia was silent but her face betrayed no hint of her thoughts but Luke knew almost instinctively they were the same has his. _Something is definitely not right._

She moved hastily however towards to doorway, hesitating only to check that the young officer was not going to wake up any time soon. Luke followed close behind, his heart thumping with anticipation.

There is no other way, I'm just being paranoid… 

"Once we get down to the hangar, the coast should be clear," whispered Dash as they crept down the corridor, "We'll split up to search for Fett's ship, we all know what it looks like. Once we find it we'll have to board and then try to figure out some way of igniting it."

The plan sounded ridiculously simple but like all simple plans there was a multitude of things that could go wrong.

For the third time that day Luke found himself marvelling at their stupidity.

_Running around in an Imperial Base without any idea of the floor plan…fighting a bounty hunter for his quarry…impersonating Darth Vader_. It would have been funny had his life not been dangling precariously from a fine thread, totally dependant on the luck's mercy.

The door to the East entrance slid open with a smooth precision and once again Luke found himself staring at the boxes of wrapping. However Leia did not pause for long, Han was just a few hundred metres away on the other side of the hangar. Excitement and fear seemed to be intertwined in her expression, which was now wide open for all to see.

Rushing down the iron stairwell to their left, the companions tried to muffle their steps even though the hangar was quite deserted. Lines of TIE fighters lay menacingly in organised rows along the towering metal walls, each hull polished to perfection, every window gleaming in the dim light. Imperial discipline did have some merits.

However there was no time to admire the fighters for Dash was ready half way across the vast square expanse of floor in the centre of hangar, his boots clanking loudly on the metal floor. The others followed for they could not see anything besides the monotonous white of the Imperial fighters.

Suddenly a chokingly thick swirl of blackness descended upon Luke's vision. His lungs gasped for air as a persistent force crushed them from the inside. Wheezing desperately Luke stretched out to the force hoping for something to relieve the pain. The haze muffling the force was lifted like a curtain before the show and the energy gushed in, swirling around him like the turbulent waters of some dark river. Abruptly out of the torrent of energy, Luke recognised something much darker. A horrific fear gripped his heart; the fear of small boy who had just spotted a kayat dragon camouflaged amongst the dunes but was far too close to run away.

_Vader is here!_

A terrifying wail greeted his ears and worried hands grabbed his shoulders.

"Luke…what the-,"

"Run!"

_It was too late, but then again it had always been too late_.

The thud of the stormtroopers forming a perimeter around the captured rebels restored Luke to his physical senses. However across the strands of the force a hand reached out to grab him.

_**My son, I have you at last…**_

"No! No!" his desperate cried served only to agitate the waiting stormtroopers who cocked their blasters towards him.

"Stand down, the boy is not to be harmed," the chilling low tone echoed through the cavernous hangar so that it sounded even more terrifying than it had done on Bespin.

The dark solitaire of Darth Vader swept majestically through the entrance to the hangar like a sinister god savouring his vengeance. Dark waves of the force emanated from the being and crashed viciously against Leia and Dash who both seemed cowered by the experience even though they could not sense the force. However the dark energies simply lapped gently at the edges of Luke's mind not penetrating or damaging just a continuous presence, but event that was enough to make Luke's knees give way.

Luke tumbled unceremonious to the ground, his who body shaking uncontrollably. Beside him he heard Leia's piecing scream.

_**My son…you are unwell…** _

The connection broke Luke's last source of restraint.

"Ah! Get out of my head!" he wailed shielding his forehead with his hands.

"Stop it! Stop hurting him!" Leia rushed towards him but even as she approached the force gathered around her and she collided with an invisible barrier. "Don't hurt him, leave him be!"

Dash had raised his blaster but Vader continued to approach them with a menacing intent.

"Quite on the contrary, Princess, I am not harming him in anyway,"

Dash snorted.

Vader did not even turn around as he stretched out to the force and proceeded to crush Rendar's trachea. The smuggler gargled as his face turned white from lack of blood.

"Vader! No!" this time Luke's cry echoed eerie off the towering metal walls so it sounded as if there were several of him all shouting at different times. However it did nothing to cease Vader's actions.

_**Father, please stop!** _the thoughts spewed out from his mind before he could realise what he had cried.

Dash's body slumped to the ground with a dull thud and he lay quite still.

"I see you have finally accepted the truth," said Vader, his low baritone voice sent shockwaves down Luke's spine.

"Truth?" Leia looked up from where she was kneeling at Dash's side, fear etched into her features.

"Princess," rumbled Vader turning slightly towards her "has Luke not seen fit to inform you of his _parentage_?"

"It's _Commander _Skywalker to you!" spluttered Rendar from his sprawled position on the fall. Evidently the force choke had not alleviated the more annoying affects of his personality.

Leia's eyes widen with horror as though a chasm of darkness had opened before her.

"You…"

"Luke is my son,"

"NO!" suddenly a fury beyond all Luke had every felt swept through him like a Tatooine sandstorm. Dark spots of red flitted across his vision and he could feel the painful pounding of blood gushing to his ears.

"NO! You _liar_! You killed my father!" spitting with rage Luke clambered onto his feet unsure of what he could do but with only one intent in mind…to kill.

"Luke…" the word was a warning but it was also laced with an undertone of menace that only a Dark Lord could perfect.

"You _murderer_!"

He charged, blinded by the uncontrollable rage that coursed through his vein like fire. He did not bother to draw out his lightsabre; he wanted to kill the murderer with his bare hands.

Suddenly the force turned against him in a huge backlash of dark energies, sweeping through his soul like slimy cold water. It sapped his rage with dreadful efficiency until he was chilled to core and shivering with fright.

It was then that he found himself within arms' length of Darth Vader.

A black leather glove clasped his shoulder firmly and pulled him forwards like a mechanical claw. Luke struggled feebly but his anger was spent and he felt like a drained and terrified child.

"Son, you have much to learn," the dreadful voice was gentler now with the smug air of one who had won a smart victory.

"Bring the Princess and the smuggler on board my shuttle. Deal with the alien as you see fit," commanded Vader his voice reverting back to its normal domineering tone. "I have what I came for."

With one hand firmly clasped on his son's shoulders he pushed Luke forwards towards the main landing pads on the other side of hangar.

"No! Let go of me!" Luke twisted weakly in Vader's grip trying desperately to dislodge the vice like grip. However a dark fog seemed to have settled on his mind, numbing his senses and slowing his thoughts.

"Behave yourself and your friends will remain unharmed," rumbled Vader as he redoubled his hold and dragged a half compliant Luke towards the landing pads. Behind them Luke hazily registered the forms of Dash and Leia being handcuffed by the stormtroopers.

Suddenly a lone figure appeared in front of the exit and Luke took several moments to discern who it was.

"My Lord, what would you do with this rebel," Fett said as he stepped out from behind a TIE fighter.

Two native alien guards appeared dragging between them a limp body in an orange jumpsuit.

_Wes!_

"It would seem that Luke has an attachment to his particular rebel. Bring him to my ship," commanded Vader and Fett nodded.

"I take it that you will be rewarding me for his capture," said Fett bluntly as Vader proceeded to walk away.

"Claim what you like hunter," rumbled Vader curtly and pulled a weakening Luke along.

The gigantic opening to the landing pads was opening and though they were barely ten metres from the doors, Luke could only see a haze of grey metal.

_His legs felt so numb, his mind was fogged and dazed…why was he here?_

_A dark shuttle lay in the sunlight before them; a cool breeze ruffled his limp hair. They were moving closer to the shuttle…why was he so weak…sleepy…_

_**Rest my son, all shall be well** _

* * *

**AN:** hope you enjoyed that: next chapter Luke spends some quality time with "the man who is _definitely not_ his father". 

**Please review…I do so love to hear your thoughts!**


	8. Irony

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 7. Irony

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett, Tremayne.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer:**Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Review Thanks: **Spirit White, Jessie237, Carrie, DarthGladiator45, GQD, First Appointed Angel, GoodbyeGravity, VFSNAKE, Future Queen of the World, Jennifer Janerio, Treenahasthaal, Indigo Feline, Sherazade Vader, ilovethestories,Amyling.

* * *

**AN:** Right chapter 7 is a lot shorter and has less action but Dash is not about to lie down and die quietly so you'll get more explosions, I promise.

**Next chapteris currently on my site.**

* * *

"AH!" a horrific wail of pain bubbled from the mouth of the rugged youth sprawled across the hospital bed. He writhed uncontrollably for several seconds as if a terrible poison was burning his veins, then suddenly the taunt muscles relaxed and he was once again still.

The med droids had been specifically ordered not to disturb him, only the doctors were allowed to tend to the new rebel prisoner.

As Doctor Laisson peered through the thick glass view port that separated them, he could almost feel the boy's pains reverberating through the distance between them. Laisson was once known for his compassion but twenty years in the navy had all but exhausted his once bountiful supply of sympathy. However as he stared at the grimy, pale teenage boy twitching sporadically amongst the pristine white sheets of the mediward, Laisson could not help but be moved by his terrible plight.

"_Lord Vader's special captive, make sure he is treated because you're head is on the line, Laisson."_

Inquisitor Loam Redge was not famed for his courtesy. A sour, spiteful man with a scarred face and a permanent limp, he would not have looked out of place as the villain in a fairytale. His rise to prominence was brief; having fought and killed several Jedi during the purge he was hailed as the next in line for the position of Grand Inquisitor. However a mission gone wrong was all it took to fall out of Vader's favour and now he was shunted to the sidelines while the more "able" Inquisitors took his glory.

_Well_, thought Doctor Laisson _after_ the man had left, _no one forced him to become an Inquisitor. Sometimes I wonder how they are chosen because I swear some of the special agents have the brains of a bantha. You'd think Vader chose them on account of their good looks!_

Loam Redge aside, the other Inquisitors aboard the Executor possessed startling physical attractions. Lanu Pasqi, one of the few women in the organization, was the heart throb of every hormone charged young recruit. Ameesa Darys would have been attractive too but even hormone crazed young men could tell she was not to be messed with if they valued their lives.

Even as he thought of the strange myths surrounding the Inquisitorius, the door comm beeped and High Inquisitor Tremayne entered without an invite.

"Good afternoon, Doctor Laisson, I have come to check on the progress of the patient," said Tremayne smoothly as he strolled calmly towards the view port. If it had been anyone else, Laisson would have been sure to remind them _firmly_ that this was a _private_ medical wing and priory appointments were needed. However considering the circumstances Laisson simply looked disapprovingly at the Inquisitor and the boy trailing behind him.

Perhaps Tremayne had sensed his thoughts; it would not be first time, because he smiled courteously and extended a hand towards the dark haired boy examining the terminal on workbench.

"This is Ronin, my apprentice. It's his first time on such an important mission and I hope you will excuse his enthusiasm. Come, Ronin do not touch anything,"

The sullen, bored looking youth stepped up to the viewing port where the dim lights cast a dark shadow across his handsome features giving him a sinister air.

_He could not have been more than 13,_ mused the Doctor, _for he was far too small to have hit the teenage growth spurt just yet._

He was wearing something akin to a tunic, but a highly elaborate one at that with ornate embroidery and jewelled buttons, certainly more formal than functional.

Tremayne however was more absorbed in the still form of the rebel pilot who lay quite still as if in a drug induced sleep. Something about the Inquisitor's features made Laisson slightly uneasy even though his expression had not changed from the polite curiosity.

"Has Lord Vader been here?" inquired Tremayne rather casually…_too casually_.

"Only when he delivered the patient," replied Lassion, keeping the suspicion out of his voice.

"Of course," said Tremayne his features rearranging themselves into a smile, "He shall be becoming soon. He is _very_ interested in this particular patient…"

With that the Inquisitor beckoned to his apprentice and they left without a farewell.

_Not that I care,_ thought Laisson as he went over to examine his apparatus. He had a nagging feeling something wasn't quite right and as he eyed his computer, it dawned on him.

_That boy stole something!_

Before he could rush out to confront the duo a piercing scream resounded through the chamber.

_Oh dear, what now?_

* * *

Deep within the bowels of the Executor the detention block was filled with the ear splitting wails of Dash Rendar…

"I do so love a bunch of coconuts; there they are all standing in a row!"

"I beg your pardon, _Rendar_, but your singing is worse than Han's!" snapped Leia from the cell opposite.

"Now I wish we are in the high security prisons!" wailed Wes as he pretended to cover his ears.

"No talking!" snapped the guard as he appeared down the corridor and the trio remained silent as a squad of stormtroopers marched past them in formation.

"Well, at least Chewie and Lando are safe," said Dash despondently as the squadron and the guards disappeared down the corridor.

"Shut up!" hissed Leia her forehead protruding ungraciously from the bars, "they're watching us!"

"Yeah well, we're doom anyway. Why, oh, why did I take up this assignment? You didn't even pay me well!" complained Dash as he lay down on the cool grey floor of his cell with a tragic air of one who has realised a terrible mistake.

"We paid you enough, you money loving urchin!" growled Leia, looking more ferocious by the second.

"I should have just taken the money and left! Oh, now I'm doomed!" Dash gave a theatrical wail and slumped against the wall.

Wes couldn't help but grin at the antics of Dash Rendar, the guy was irresistibly funny. However the princess obviously did not share the male pilots' sense of humour because right now she looked as if smoke might billow from her ears.

"Rendar, keep your trap shut," said Wes wisely for he was in the cell next to Leia and there was only a flimsy row of steel bars between them.

"Yeah…yeah…" Dash grumbled as he curled up on the floor to get some much needed rest. However the floor had other ideas. "Does anyone find that this floor is really _hard_? I mean you'd think that Vader wanted to keep us alive and yet he can't even provide any beds…I bet the kid's got a bed to sleep on with silk sheets and good food. Why couldn't I be the son of Vader?"

Wes burst out laughing and then controlled himself as Leia rounded on Dash.

"You think this whole thing is funny! Don't you see Vader is using Luke! He's exploiting Luke's greatest weakness. There's no way Luke can stand to that kind of pressure!"

"Princess," said Wes calmly, "I'm sure Luke _knows_ Vader is toying with his mind. He's a strong person and he'll pull through like he always does." Leia looked highly unconvinced. "I mean you'd have to be…demented…to believe Vader was your father,"

"Wes," said Dash seriously as he gripped the bars of his cell, "there is something you should know…Luke is _always_ demented,"

Wes' face twitched sporadically as he bit his lips to keep himself from laughing.

"Don't you see!" cried Leia sounding increasingly distraught, "Vader has _ways_ of making Luke believe him. They have a connection in the force!"

"And how would you known that Little Miss Jedi Fiend?" asked Dash with a lopsided grin.

"What if Vader knows something about Luke's father? He was a Jedi once, it would make sense if he met Luke's father at some point!" snapped Leia as she ploughed on regardless of interruptions. "Vader would know stuff…stuff that could convince Luke that he is his _real _father!"

"Look, Princess," interrupted Wes, "If some evil manic suddenly walks up to you one day and goes _'Leia, I am your Father'_ what would you think?"

Leia paused as though this train of thought had never occurred to her before.

"You definitely wouldn't believe him even if by some impossible coincidence his _was_ your real father. It just won't happen," added Dash helpfully.

"But you don't understand, Vader has supernatural _powers_!" cried Leia as she too gripped the bars of her cell.

"And so does Luke, Princess," replied Wes gently, "Luke has Jedi powers and they're more powerful than the Sith's," though he didn't add what was running through his mind…_where are the Jedi now? Killed by the Sith_.

"Vader's just out fishing for an apprentice, when he realises Luke isn't going to turn he'll throw him in some forsaken dungeon and then we can rescue him and get the hell out of here," said Dash comfortingly, although it did put any minds at rest.

The thud, thud of the patrol could be heard echoing down the corridor and Leia voice one more thing on her mind.

"Why aren't we in high security?"

"Cos they're all taken," muttered Dash darkly.

"All of them?" said Wes looking astonished. A sudden coldness crept down his spine.

"Clearly Vader's mission had another agenda…"

* * *

The room was dimly lit by the soft yellow lamps embedded in the ceiling tiles. The viewing port to the left gleamed with reflected light so that it was impossible to see who was on the other side. However Vader could sense that no one was watching.

In the centre of the small enclosed space was the hospital bed, its sheets crumpled into a sweaty pile near Luke's feet.

_His son_, the emotion behind the words was overwhelming, _His son…Padme's son. Four years of effort had not gone to waste. The dark times when he thought he would not be able to fulfil his master's wishes evapourated like mist before the sun. Together they would have a glorious future; it was written in the force…_

A low moan drew Vader back to his physical senses and he looked down from his impressive height at the pale youth twisted awkwardly on the bed.

_Does he always sleep like that, or is this a by product of trauma?_

Luke groaned against and curled into a tight knot of limbs as if he was trying to hide from something Vader could not see. He was shivering as he clutched the flatten pillow tightly and pulled it towards him for comfort.

Luke's skin was white…reminiscent of the pearly, pure white of Padme's skin when she walked into Watto's shop all those years ago. His hair was brown with just a few traces of blond still left from his years on Tatooine and his features spoke of a gentile, peaceful, compassionate nature but it was his soul that most fascinated Vader. Glowing like a brilliant white flame in a sea of darkness, Luke's force signature was something he had never felt before. Luke's soul blazed strongly even when his physically being had experienced so many traumas, Vader felt like a moth drawn towards the light. It mesmerised him, captivated him…warmed him as he watched the light dance across the force, banishing all thoughts of darkness.

Suddenly the signature flared like a supernova and Vader had to shield his soul from the heat. Distantly, in the physical world, a piercing scream of terror tore through the room.

Luke knew he was awake long before he opened his eyes and he also knew there was another in the room…standing next to his bed. Feebly he reached out to the force and it flowed like a crystal clear stream towards him, surrounding him with its warming embrace.

_Where am I?_ The force answered him…_A room with another person?_

There was no malicious intent, no sadistic pleasure…no bloodied thoughts…just an unwavering expanse of velvet darkness, like the smooth glassy surface of an enormous lake. He did not feel afraid at first for he felt the unconscious urge to reach out to the presence surrounding him, a strange sense of attraction.

However his physical senses were beginning to revive themselves and the strange grating mechanical noise greeted his ears.

_I have heard that before…_

Slowly almost languidly he opened his eyes.

The terrifying mask of Darth Vader loomed over him, only inches from his face.

"AH!" he screamed in pure terror and scrambled around like a trapped animal getting tangled in the knot of sheets at the foot of the bed.

Vader straightened instantly and stepped backwards, almost as if he was…_ashamed?_

"You will not be harmed, Luke Skywalker,"

Luke was already gibbering with fright. However in his haste to get off the bed, the loose sheets wound themselves around his ankles and as he jumped down they snagged neatly on the short bed post sending Luke tumbling forwards, face first onto the hard floor.

Pain was getting ready to register itself in his brain but suddenly millimetres from his face, the floor halted and he was left dangling precariously from a hospital bed at the mercy of Darth Vader.

"You should be more careful," commented the Dark Lord. Though his voice betrayed no humour, Luke could have sworn he felt a flicker of dark amusement through the force.

"Put me down!" shrieked Luke his hand groping wildly at the knot around his ankles.

"As you wish," the rumbling voice of the Dark Lord did not suit such a comment.

However instead of finding himself freed and standing, Luke was levitated back onto the bed with his ankles still tied neatly to the bed post. Fortunately the sheets had the grace to untangle themselves and Luke was left panting breathlessly in the same position as he had been before.

_Some progress…_

**_If you are were not so hasty in your judgement you would not have made a scene, my son._ **

"Stop it! Get out of my head!" cried Luke and, to Vader's cynical amusement, he pressed his hands to his ears as if he thought it would block the connection.

"Covering your ears will not help you, young one. Your training is poor to say the least."

"It's better than anything you could do!" spat Luke defensively. "At least I don't violate people's mind!"

"I am not _violating_ your mind and if you do not wish to know what violation is I suggest you control yourself," Vader's voice was not laced with menace as Luke had expected to be, instead the tone was almost _chiding_.

Luke refused to be intimidated by his captor, whether he sounded chiding or menacing. With a firm resolve, he mustered what was left of his dignity and gracefully leapt from the bed. It was only then, as he stood facing Vader with his back straight and proud, did he realise he was standing in nothing but his underwear.

A crimson fire blossomed across his cheeks as Luke stared down at his prone form. His legs were thin scrawny things, with the knee caps jutting out like bionic attachments. The rebel diet had not done him any favours and as he stood before the Sith Lord he felt more like a fish waiting to be dissected than a heroic fighter for the light.

His uncomfortable position Luke said the first thing that came to mind,

"You are a hedonistic, sadistic monster and you will get your comeuppance in this life for the next!"

"Do you know what _hedonistic_ means, young one?" replied Vader in what Luke thought was a perverse version of a patronizing tone. "Because I can assure you that I am anything but hedonistic,"

"I suggest you stop playing games with me, Vader. Execute me, I am not afraid of death," said Luke with determination his eyes flashing with emotion.

_Padme's eyes…he has Padme's eyes_. Silently Vader berated himself for his weakness, his wife was _dead_ and thinking about the dead would only cloud his vision. However over the past few days Padme was a memory he could suppress no longer for she lived on now in her son…his son.

"I have not intention of killing you, you are far too valuable to me alive," said Vader curtly. This did not serve to calm Luke. Hot, boiling rage was growing inside the boy at tremendous speed, rapidly melting away whatever control the emotional child had.

"**_You killed my father_**!" the rage exploded with more ferocity than a thousand stars and Luke lunged.

Suddenly, as if a giant hand had gripped the back of his neck, Luke was lifted upwards until he was dangling a foot above the ground. Blinded by anger Luke fought with all his might against the vice like grip at held him in mid air. Twisting and turning frantically Luke sought to goad Vader into letting him go.

"You murderer! Did you kill my mother as well? I bet you did! Was it easy? Did you _enjoy_ killing my mother?"

Abruptly Vader released him and Luke tumbled to the ground with a thud. However the pain in his backside was the least of his problems.

As Vader leaned in towards him, Luke could almost feel the chilling force of his anger reverberate across the room

_Uncle Owen always said your big mouth will get you killed…_

"I _did not_ kill your mother," hissed Vader his low voice echoing in the terrible silence that followed. Real terror gripped Luke's body until he felt his muscles clench with the effort of holding him upright. A vast coldness seemed to sweep across the room, chilling Luke to the bone until he shivered involuntarily.

The darkness seemed to subside somewhat but the anger remained in the air thickening the tension between them.

"Get back on the bed," it was an order and one laced with horrific consequences if disobeyed. _Vader had ceased to be amused_.

Seeing no other choice Luke clambered back onto the bed, his limbs still shaking. The bed sheets rearranged themselves meticulous on top of him and some of the coldness drained away. A small piece of dust drifted downwards from the ceiling and landed on Luke's nose, irritating him. However as he reached up to brush it off he found his could no longer move, his limbs were stiff and frozen.

"It would seem your anger as released the immobilising toxins into your blood," commented Vader.

**_You…You drugged me! _**projected Luke, feeling uneasy at his surprise. _Drugging prisoners was standard procedure..._

**_It was a necessary precaution. Now that you are in a more receptive position let us commence our unfinished discussion_ **

**_No! I gave you my answer there is nothing more to discuss! _**

**_The circumstance are somewhat different now, young Skywalker _**Vader's low and threatening voice echoed inside his mind, until Luke felt his ears ringing in protest. **_For the safety of your friends I suggest you give my offer some due consideration _**

_His friends! Leia, Dash, Wes! _

**_Even if I do agree to join you, you'll kill them anyway! _**snarled Luke. His vulnerability caused him to lash out in defence.

**_There is much anger in you, young one, and yet you do not use it. You could be great but the dogmatic teachings of the Jedi weaken you. Become my apprentice and experience the true nature of the force._**

Luke snorted so loudly he almost sounded like Dash. _Rendar's been rubbing off on me…_

The numbness in his jaw was slowly fading and his limbs seemed to relax slightly as the effects of the toxin began to wear off. Hesitantly Luke moved his jaw from side to side, testing whether he had that particular part of his body back in control.

"I would never join you, no matter what happens. I _will never join you_. You killed my father and I will avenge him."

The seer resolve behind the words almost made Vader a little apprehensive but he quickly pushed such a weak feeling aside to be replaced with a more suitable emotion, anger.

"You talk as if you have a choice, Skywalker. Soon I shall bring you before my master and he will show you the power the dark side," rumbled Vader pointing a black gloved finger towards Luke.

"I will never turn, Vader, you and the Emperor will have to kill me first," snapped Luke and turned his head away from the Dark Lord, hoping to communicate that the meeting was over. Perhaps Vader understood that no more progress could be made because he stepped towards the door.

"Some time alone will change your mind. I shall be back soon, until then I suggest you do not try anything reckless or heroic because you will not succeed,"

With that the Dark Lord swept from the room like a black shadow leaving Luke alone in the small room.

A sense of hopelessness descended upon Luke like a black cloud. His folly had led to the capture of his friends; _all his friends_ for Vader would probably order Leia to be tortured into revealing the rebel bases scattered around the galaxy. Even with her fierce resolved Luke doubted that Leia would last long under the full force of an Imperial Interrogation.

_Leia, Dash, Wes…Han…I'm so sorry…_

A single tear trickled down his left cheek and Luke did not bother to wipe it away.

"Luke, all is not lost…"

The disembodied voice that had haunted his dreams for so long rang out clearly in the silence of the prison cell.

_Ben! Ben…_

"Luke, never loose hope, you future is written in the force."

"Ben, what am I going to do?" cried Luke his voice cracking with despair.

"Have faith in the force, Luke…have faith in your father…" the disembodied voice faded into nothing leaving a defending silence in its wake.

_My father…my father would not sit here and wallow in self pity. _Anakin Skywalker was a hero and Luke would live up to his father.

_Thank you Ben, thank you for giving me new hope!_

An excited flush of red coloured Luke's cheeks and left him breathless with anticipation. He was going to escape but he would have to wait until the opportune moment….

* * *

**AN:** **Please review...or Luke will turn to the Dark Side, sport a crew cut and do obscene things with Mara Jade.**


	9. Intrigue

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 8. Intrigue

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett, Tremayne.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer:**Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Beta Thanks:** A really big thank you to my wonderful beta **mlgm** who has improved the quality of this story beyond all my expectations!

**Review Thanks:** Fantasy4Everlasting, Mina1, Jessie237, Serena Webb, ilovethestories, Carrie, darthchunky, VFSNAKE, DarthGladiator45, Sithspawned, Treenahasthaal,

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**AN:** I realise that this story is getting complicated so I have made a **character sheet** that you can refer to while reading. However I doubt will let me put it on (I don't want my account frozen again) so it's going to be on my homepage along with the **next chapter by the 22nd of April. **

The Inquisitors are all canon, however some don't have detailed physical descriptions so I used some of my artistic license.

Those of you who got two alerts: sorry my fault upload wrong version up.

* * *

It was Fourth Day evening according to the large digital clock that adorned the wall above Leia's cell and Dash Rendar was beginning to feel the affects of captivity.

His cell was four feet by six, covered from floor to ceiling in the same monotonous Imperial Grey. Three walls of the cell consisted of narrowly spaced iron bars, while the back wall was a blank grey surface totally devoid of any imperfections. There was no bed or inbuilt lavatory, which meant that the cell was only a temporary holding unit with low security features. However, right now, Dash was prepared to attempt an escape just to be move to a high security cell, with _toilet facilities_.

His chrono indicated that he had been in captivity for six hours, which he decided was an unhealthy length of time to pause one's bodily functions.

"Hey, Wes do you know where the refresher is?" asked Dash as he poked his nose through the bars of this cell.

"You gotta be joking right," laughed Wes as he looked up from his hunched position on the floor. "If I don't get transferred soon I think I'll -,"

"Oh really!" snapped Leia her eyes flashing with distain.

"Listen princess, unlike you were aren't superhuman…" Dash trailed off as the patrol of stormtroopers appeared at the end of the corridor and marched passed them in silent formation.

"I really don't know why they bother," said Wes as the brigade rounded the corner, "It's just us three in this whole compound. You'd think the Imperials would at least put us as far apart as possible."

"Unless they _actually_ want to hear our conversation," hissed Leia from the depth of her cell, "honestly do you think we are here by accident?"

Wes did not reply as he dropped his head back down on his knees. Dash's humour was the only thing keeping him from falling in despair right now and he felt like a goat teetering on the edge of a jagged cliff.

"So how did you get caught?" asked Dash, stretching his arms out from the bars in a lazy yawn.

"He's told you three times already!" groaned Leia as she started to undo her elaborately fashioned hair. The two large buns on either side of her head looked rather like the antique ear phones Dash had once seen in a museum.

"So, it's the only entertaining thing we can talk about without your disapproval," retorted Dash as he slumped against the bars, "go on, tell us again and embellish it with some big explosions or something."

Wes grinned tightly and decided to play alone for the moment,

"Well, my X-wing started to malfunction and a gigantic jet of flames spewed from the tail end, incinerating several TIE fighters behind me,"

Leia grumbled something unintelligible in the cell next to him but Wes carried on,

"I had to pull a crash landing in the middle of a vast open field where anyone could easy shoot me down, but I survived the landing and clambered out of the X-wing. From the last radio communications I received from Wedge I knew Luke was also heading to this planet and so I decided to find him.

Walking alone for many hours I finally reached a grimly town full of cutthroats and thieves. I was told the Imperial Base near by and I knew I had to infiltrate it to rescue Han, so I crawled into the sewage system from a waste disposal plant -,"

"This story is beginning to sound like it's being read out of a kid's textbook," grumbled Dash while scratching absently at the smooth grey wall. They were durasteel panels, twice as hard as diamond and impossible to deface.

"You wanted me to embellish it," retorted Wes.

"Yeah but embellish means "to make more interesting". I preferred it the first time," replied Dash his voice almost sulky.

"Oh, honestly! We are trapped on the Executor waiting for execution, while Luke is being physiologically tortured by the Dark Lord of the Sith and you find time to _swap gossip_!" cried Leia, her frustrations threatening to boil over her swallow control.

"Listen, Princess, we cannot afford to lose our heads," said Wes calmly, "we need to stay positive and while Dash may sound like he doesn't care, he does. The Imps have put surveillance in our cells to prevent us from coordinating an escape attempt but we still have a chance. Luke will come and save us."

Leia felt like snorting.

However snorting was a mannerism befitting only the dregs of society like Dash Rendar and an Alderaan Princess had better ways of expressing disdain.

"Really, _Wes_, as much as I trust and admire Luke, I do not think he is in any position to 'save' us right now. Darth Vader has a better grasp of Luke's abilities than any of us. Do you really think that there is even the remotest possibility that Luke will be able to escape from a _Sith Lord._ If anyone is going to be rescued it will have to be Luke."

"Well I'm sorry, Your _Highness_, for not falling into a whirlpool of depression because I actually want to be sane when I get out of here," snapped Dash sarcastically. "Forgive me for not participating in 'serious brooding'. Besides hadn't you better start thinking about your frozen boyfriend? Or he might think you love Luke more than him."

It did not take intuition to tell Wes that Dash had gone too far with his last jibe for Leia's eyes flashed with pain and she swept to the back of her cell where she sat facing the wall with her shoulders hunched in a way that was definitely not natural to Alderaan royalty.

Perhaps Dash felt guilty, Wes couldn't tell for he too had retreated in a sulk and was now fidgeting with his armour plate.

_I really need to use the refresher,_ thought Wes as he his gaze shifted back and forth between his two fickle companions. _Maybe…no it can't be that easy!_

* * *

"You are being transferred," said the doctor as he stepped into Luke's "holding cell". The man was nervous and justly so for Luke was sure wicked tales of his supernatural powers were already circulating the ship. "Inquisitors Tremayne and Halmere will be escorting you," the doctor paused and fumbled awkwardly with his identity card as if resolving some inner conflict,

"It would be in your best interests to…cooperate," he finished hesitantly and a look of concern filled his aged, grey eyes.

Luke looked up from where he lay on the hospital bed and shook his head slightly.

"Doctor, I appreciate your concern but cooperation is out of the question. I will not betray my ideals,"

"I'm not trying to recruit you," sighed the doctor as he took several steps forwards, "just…make it easy for yourself…"

"There is a vast difference between what is _right_ and what is easy," replied Luke resolutely.

Momentarily stunned by the intensity of Luke's gaze, the doctor opened his mouth but no sound could be produced.

_He is no ordinary boy._

The doctor licked his lips as if to bring his voice back into line and stepped just a little bit closer to his extraordinary patient,

"I understand, but consider your health…you must be in good shape if you have any hopes of…being able to do anything,"

Words unsaid hung in the air between them like heavy weights adding to the apprehension in the room. Nothing stirred and the medi-droids stood in the doorway like twisted works of art that only an Imperial could admire.

"Thank you for your concern," repeated Luke firmly, he had no wish for the doctor to become embroiled in the perverse labyrinth he had unwitting fallen into. There was pity in the doctor's eyes…pity and _fear_.

Shaking his head of thin greying hair, the doctor retreated back into the doorway with his hands thrust deep into the pockets of white coat. Just before he turned to leave, he whispered something almost too quietly for Luke to hear,

"I am wrong…for your own sake _flee_,"

The door sealed itself behind the white form of the doctor with a sinister hiss leaving Luke alone to contemplate his fate.

* * *

The grey hall ways of the Executor were constantly polished to maintain the reflective shine that embodied Imperial Perfection. Even as Ronin scuffed the floor tiles with the rubber soles of his shoes a mouse droid arrived to clean up the tracks.

Inquisitor Tremayne paid no attention to the boy trailing behind him as he strolled gracefully through the corridors leading towards the private medical bay. He had a more important assignment on his hands.

Behind the tall figure of his master, Ronin looked up apprehensively as his hand reached into the folds of his tunic. Tremayne's thoughts dwelt elsewhere and he was free to inspect his prize. A small gold medallion, suspended on a thin chain of solid silver glowed in the harsh light of the corridors. One small red jewel was fixed in the centre of the circular disk and even as Ronin watch, it began to change colour from red to blue and darkening into a deep black.

His gamble had paid off; the data was indeed what Master Darys wanted and in return he had gained a most prized possession…a treasure to attract the Dark Lord's eye.

* * *

As Tremayne approached the doors to the medical bay he knew instantly that Halmere had not arrived. However another more annoying presence occupied the space beyond the doors: Loam Redge.

The metal panel parted smoothly and the High Inquisitor strolled in with Ronin following close behind, his hand lingering close to his breast pocket.

"Ah, Inquisitor Loam Redge, it is a surprise to see you, I was unaware that you were also assigned to this charge," said Tremayne his eyes flashing with a well controlled annoyance.

"There are many things you are unaware of, Tremayne," snapped Loam Redge curtly as he turn on his heel and marched down the steps to the holding area. Tremayne could tell even without his force sensitivity that Loam Redge was as irked by his presence as he was by Loam's.

The single door to the holding area hissed open without the fluidity expected of Imperial facilities. It seemed that the room was seldom in use.

The patient or prisoner, depending on one's view point, was sitting serenely on the hospital bed in a lotus position, reminiscent of the many times Tremayne had seen the Jedi Masters meditating.

"_Jedi_," hissed Loam Redge with contempt as he stepped into the room. However Tremayne sensed his apprehension through the force and allowed himself a small satisfied smile as he followed behind.

The room was bare apart from the bed and yet with all four people inside it felt crowded. In front of them sat the most infamous rebel leader, Luke Skywalker.

However as Tremayne looked closely at the boy, he did not find anything more remarkable than what he had seen a few hours before. Skywalker's force potential was great but it was just _potential_. There had been little development of his powers and even with his 'great' force potential he could not be called a diamond in the rough for he sensed the boy possessed little in the way of intelligence.

Skywalker was nothing compared to the Inquisitors.

The power of Darth Vader had protected him thus far but when Vader's favour ceased, Tremayne would be all too happy to dispose of his **"**son**"**.

"Skywalker, we have come to escort you to Lord Vader," said Loam Redge, a sadistic glint lit his cold eyes.

"Well you can tell _his Wheeziness_, Darth Vader, that our appointment is officially cancelled," replied Skywalker obnoxiously from his position on the bed without opening his eyes.

Tremayne bit back a bubble of laughter,

_Boy, you have no idea what you are getting into_.

Loam Redge however took his remark as personal insult for his face was already blotched with red. His pride had been dented; no mere rebel spoke to an Inquisitor in such a manner. Slowly but surely the devilish glint in his eyes magnified.

"You will do well to respect his Lordship and us, for when your favour ends I will be looking forwards to cleaving you in two."

Skywalker did not even flinch at the unveiled threat, the corners of his mouth turned but into a smug smile that spoke volumes.

"I will be looking forwards to that day too, but for an entirely different reason,"

_The boy is far too sure of himself. Does he truly believe he is the son of Vader? The concept is laughable but Lord Vader is a cunning man. The boy is indeed powerful but still he would never make his way in the Inquisitorius._

"Well, how about you tell your _Father_ that when we meet him?" hissed Loam Redge as he approached Luke.

Suddenly a sharp disturbance crashed through the force and Skywalker's eyes flew open.

"He _is not_ my father."

Even as he said the words, Tremayne sensed the terrible inner turmoil raging inside Skywalker's head.

_Yes, our Lord is cunning indeed. Skywalker doesn't stand a chance. I will enjoy watching his emotional pain when he falls…Vader is a fickle master. _

"Oh and who is your father?" Loam Redge's face twisting into a horrific smile that was enough to scare even the impassive Ronin. However to Tremayne's surprise the boy stared right back with fierce determination.

"My father was Anakin Skywalker, a _Jedi Knight_," said Luke, never taking his eyes of Loam Redge's face.

_The boy thinks he is the son of the _Chosen One?_ He must be delusional. _

This time Tremayne did not hold his amusement in check and he laughed deeply at Skywalker's remark.

"Well, let me tell you something about _him_," replied Loam Redge clearly enjoying the boy's distress. His days as an Imperial Interrogator had given him a great taste for sadism…and vengeance.

"Anakin Skywalker died squealing like the cowardly Jedi he was. He was supposed to be the _Chosen One_," and Loam Redge spat the words out with hatred, "but where is he now? Killed by _clones_, no less."

From behind Loam Redge, Tremayne could see the sheering anger blazing in the boy's eyes. His jaw became so tense that the muscles twitched sporadically in his face.

"He didn't stand a chance, he couldn't even save himself let alone his precious Master Obi Wan Kenobi," again an old bitterness swelled inside Loam Redge and he hissed the name with resentment, "or the younglings. Anakin Skywalker was _weak and pathetic_, a senseless follower of the Jedi Order.

"Lord Vader tells me that in his last moments, he threw himself sobbing at the clones' feet begging for mercy like a common criminal, his last pleas even offered to tell Lord Vader where the younglings were hiding -,"

"You liar!" cried Skywalker, all control lost as his rage exploded into the force and Tremayne felt the crash of the force bashing into his connection. "You did not know my father!"

"Oh yes I did, I was once a Jedi… Anakin Skywalker was so _vain_, so vain that he did not see Vader's lightsabre coming until it had _sliced_ his left arm off. But of course he gibbered and cried, wailed and howled like a dying womp rat. Even as he died he tried to renounce the Jedi code…to join the Sith, but he was far too weak.

"His dying scream was so _pitiful_…like a girl's,"

The last words were spoken in a low sinister tone, worthy of Lord Sidious. Clearly Loam Redge had not lost his torture skills.

"Liar!" Suddenly Skywalker leapt from the bed with such speed that Tremayne was taken aback for a second, but only second for he soon recovered as Skywalker charged towards them. Loam Redge was caught off guard and they tumbled to the floor, Skywalker attacking relentlessly.

However Tremayne did not ignite his lightsabre in defence, for he knew Vader's orders were absolute and it would not do to disobey the Dark Lord. Loam Redge had wanted to goad Skywalker into doing something stupid enough to warrant the Dark Lord's anger but he had gone too far.

Loam Redge was stout and strong, more than a match for the unarmed rebel and for several moments Tremayne believed that he would be able to overpower Luke single-handedly.

Suddenly the Inquisitor kicked the smaller body away from him and a red lightsabre ignited. The red blade was swung in an arch with gleeful deliberation towards Skywalker's pale chest. The lightsabre caught him in the ribs and cut a long sizzling slash horizontally across the unprotected flesh.

However even as Luke screamed in pain Loam Redge jumped forwards and slammed the hilt of his lightsabre down on Luke's head. The scream was strangled and the body fell limply on to the floor.

* * *

He was lying in on something so soft and warm that he almost felt as if he was sinking. His limbs were languid and his eyelids weighted. Luxury of this level was something Luke had never experience before. Rebel accommodation was basic without the slightest hint of opulence, the Alliance worked on necessity not comfort.

_He was definitely not in a Rebel Base…a Starship perhaps…one of the Ackbar's sleek liners? No that did not feel right either… although he had never set foot on the beautiful battleships, he knew instinctively he was somewhere else. _

_But where?_

Hesitantly he rolled over to inspect the edge of bed. However he simply found more soft sheets and only as he rolled over again did he reach out and feel the edge of the vast bed.

_This bed is huge…either that or I was sleeping very close to the other edge…_

A soft beeping sound registered in his sleep-clogged mind, an annoyingly incessant beeping commonly associated with alarm clocks. Rubbing his eyes wearily Luke decided that he would have to wake up and investigate this new environment.

The first thing he saw as he opened his eyes was the smooth, glossy black ceiling tiles situated directly above the bed…polished to Imperial Perfection.

Slowly, almost in trance, Luke sat up and surveyed the room.

_Sithspawn! I'm still on the Executor! _

However the only thing his mind registered was the apparent ironic humour in his curse.

_Sithspawn…Vader's son is sith spawn!_

A strange high pitch giggle escaped from Luke's mouth and he hurriedly suppressed it in case there was a listening device in the room. Even though he couldn't care less what the Imperials thought of him, he didn't want to be branded a psychopath.

The room was large, with the bed situated on a low raised platform connecting to the back wall. The rest of the space beneath him was occupied by a set of plain black leather sofas and a large workstation, complete with state of the art computer equipment, stood close to the gigantic viewing ports.

The entire opposite wall was covered by three huge panes of transparisteel forming one of the largest view ports Luke had ever seen. The vast expanse of space sprawled out in front him like a giant chasm with only think pin pricks of light interrupting the continuous blackness.

Suddenly Luke felt very small, like a single point of brightness in a galaxy devoid of light. The hopes of what he wanted to accomplish with his life seemed so…futile. The vast blackness no longer held the promise of excitement and adventure he had longed for in his youth. Everyday he would look up at the stars and dream of his future exploits. He was going to be a TIE pilot, the best TIE pilot the Empire ever had and he was going to become an admiral with his own Star Destroyer.

How he yearned to see the galaxy, to marvel at its vastness, to experience its diversity…to find its treasures, but now as he sat in the best room of the Super Star Destroyer, Luke realised how naïve his dreams had been.

All he had found in the galaxy was death, destruction…and evil.

Turning his head away from the viewing port Luke stared down at the sheets blankly…

_Is there any point to my life?_

_No but there is!_, his internal voice of reason shouted at, _there is a reason; I am going to bring peace, justice and hope to the galaxy. I am going to resurrect the order and become the greatest Jedi of them all!_

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the incessant beeping, which had increased a notch since he last listen. With an exasperated sign Luke clambered clumsily out of the huge black bed and stumbled around the room trying to locate the source of the beeping. A red light was blinking rapidly on the bedside table and as Luke approached, he saw that it was emanating from a datapad.

_Someone…three guesses who…had left him a message._

Slowly he began to read:

"_Son, _

_I have gone to the training rooms; do not interpret my absence as a chance to attempt an ill- planned escape because you will not succeed. There is nothing in my quarters that will assist you in any way, be it breaking the lock or self- harm. _

_Even as you read this message I am on my way _back_ to my quarters and therefore I strongly suggest that you do not let me catch you out of bed when you should clearly be resting. _

_Your Father"_

Luke snorted with bitter humour.

_Do not let me catch you out of bed, indeed! He was beginning to sound like Uncle Owen! _

_I never listened to Uncle Owen so why should I listen to this impostor of a father?_

Even as he smirked at his reflecting in the viewing port Luke realised something was amiss with the image…

_I'm wearing nothing but a pair of trunks…and they're not even _**my** _trunks!_

Luke had always been somewhat prudish and since the age of seven he had felt embarrassed by the sight of underwear even in shop windows. Hence his first instinct was to scramble back into the bed and cover himself up properly.

As he pulled the sheets up his chest he noticed the thin line of bacta bandages running horizontally across his chest. A familiar sense of failure dawned on him as he replayed his latest memories. He had been goaded by empty words, instead of simply using the force to dispel his anger. Yoda and Ben would not be happy.

Slowly he lay down on the bed and curled up into a foetal position, contemplating his very limited supply of options.

Suddenly a horrible thought entered his logic deprived mind.

_If I'm lying down on the bed…I would be _obeying_ Vader! And that was a capital sin unto itself. The least I can do before I die…no escape, is to put on a good show of defiance_.

Irrationally he clamber back out of bed and stripped a sheet from the bed to wrap around his waist. This time he was determined to meet Vader on more equal terms. As he tucked the folded sheet around his waist he contemplated how ridiculous it looked. However his sense of stubbornness was strong and there was no way he was going to take Vader's orders lying down.

He pulled the white under-sheet from the bed and wrapped it around himself like a cloak. Even as he admired his strange attire in the reflection of the viewing port, he sensed the vast darkness approaching.

The doors to the left of the bed hissed opened as the Dark Lord of the Sith stalked like a black shadow into the room only to stopped dead when he saw Luke.

"What in the Force are you doing?" demanded Vader, his tone reminiscent of Uncle Owen.

"Since you have not seen fit to provide me with any decent clothing, I have been forced to make provisions. I would have thought the Imperials had better resources than this," replied Luke his voice steady and his head held high.

"Stop this ridiculous nonsense," said Vader a hint of anger present in the tone, "you must go back to bed. The doctor has advised that you should rest for the next twelve hours at least."

"I'm sorry but I feel just fine," snapped Luke, holding his ground, "despite what your Inquisitors did,"

A dark current of anger flowed through their connection and Luke automatically shrank away from the cold feeling. However the anger, he sensed, was not directed at his remark but at an absent entity.

"He will not hurt you again, my son. I have seen to that," rumbled Vader as he titled his mask downwards to look at the gash across Luke's chest.

"Don't call me _that_!" cried Luke, "You have not right."

He could feel the tremours in the force caused by the Dark Lord's rising anger, anger that was directed at him this time.

Suddenly the force around him moulded itself into an invisible lasso and Luke found himself half carried half dragged back towards the bed. Then as abruptly as the grip had appeared it disintegrated, leaving Luke standing by the bed in his outlandish attire.

"I shall be in the communications suite; you _will _be back in bed by the time I return."

With that Darth Vader strolled through a set of doors to the right of the raised platform and disappeared from view.

"_Quibbling with Vader will not help the situation"_

"Ben?" cried Luke in astonishment for he had not expected Ben to return so soon after his last visit.

"_I have come to warn you that you are in grave danger -,"_

"Yeah like I haven't figured that out already," quipped Luke despondently. A dark flicker of annoyance sizzled through the force but it did not originate from Ben's presence. However Ben's warm glow in the force was snuff out like a candle flame leaving Luke alone…again.

"Me and my big mouth," he grumbled as he slumped down on the bed, like he always did back at the Rebel Base after a long hard day of drills.

He idly wondered what the Rebellion would be doing now, no doubt Wedge and the Rogues had made it back to base by now…

_No! I mustn't think of these things…Vader can read minds!_

Hesitantly Luke tugged at the swirling energies of the force around him to try and build some kind of shield around his thoughts. Yoda had only mentioned in passing the possibility of making "mental shields" to protect the mind from external attack and Luke did not have the slightest idea how to beginning. The force responded to his call as always, but the energy remained wild and unorganised, swirling like a Tatooine sand storm.

**_/If you wished to learn how to shield your thoughts my son, you should have come to me/_ **

The chilling sound of Darth Vader's baritone voice sent a shiver down Luke's spine but somehow over the last few hours he had grown accustomed to the dark presence as his heart had not yet failed him in this encounter.

**_/Your irrational fear was your undoing…/_** The voice paused as if contemplating how to phrase the next sentence **_/You have nothing to fear from me…if you cooperate/_**

Summoning up his courage Luke projected his thoughts back at Vader,

_**/Stay out of my head and mind your own business/**_

It was annoying how childish his retorts sounded next to Vader's sinister yet eloquent deliverances.

_**/Your thoughts are my business, my son/**_

**_/I am not your son! I'm your prisoner/_ **snapped Luke his rage flaring under the thin layer of control. Vader really knew how to touch a nerve.

_**/You are my son, why else do you think I went to all the trouble to find you and keep you here? You are delusional if you think I treat prisoners as well as this. Now be silent the Emperor is contacting me./**_

A strange sense of annoyance filled Luke's mind at being brushed off like a child but more so at being brushed off in favour of the Emperor.

_**/Fine, enjoy your talk with his rottenness/**_

A stinging sensation erupted in the recesses of their connection and Luke realised it was Vader's annoyance.

**_/You will do well to change your attitude, young one/_** and abruptly the connection was severed leaving Luke in even more turmoil than before.

Vader's words echoed in his mind and a myriad of unlikely emotions surfaced.

_Why hasn't he thrown me into a dungeon, or frozen me in carbonite? Why? Wouldn't that make his life easier?_

_No he's just trying to manipulate, my mind, soften me up for the Emperor. _

_But why the change of tactics?…he could psychologically torture me…he's good at that, or lock me in the hospital bay. Why has he moved me to his private quarters?_

_To guard me? Surely the Inquisitors are more than capable of doing that…well maybe not…but still..._

The seeds of doubt were starting to grow in his mind and he tried with all his might to hold the treacherous thoughts at bay.

Grudgingly Luke pulled off the sheets he had commandeered and rearranged them on the bed before crawling under the soft fabric. Sleep drifted into his mind like the silver mists that hung over cool forests and he tried in vain to dispense the sensation.

_I've just slept for _how_ many hours and I still feel tired. The doctor must have drugged me again._ _Perhaps I should try a force exercise…like_ enhanced hearing.

A giddy sense of excitement quickly cleared the mists as he contemplated the delicious idea of eavesdropping on Darth Vader. A mischievous grin broke his solemn expression and Luke took care to prevent his over active thoughts from running amuck. This could prove fun and fruitful, after all he had little else to do than to lie in bed and stare that the monotonous ceiling.

A surge of adrenaline gushed to his heart as he savoured the sweet feeling of performing the forbidden. He doubted that anyone had _ever_ eavesdropped on the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Tentatively he reached out to Vader's presence hoping to discern where his attentions now lay. The Dark Lord's mind was focused elsewhere and Luke withdrew gleefully.

Swiftly he stretched out to the force and pulled at the bright tresses of energy. The torrent of power gushed towards him as if it was a great river released from a dam and Luke bathed in its turbulent waters with joy.

_Now we shall see power of the _Light Side

Focusing his attention on his task, Luke gradually increased his audio reception. As Yoda had explained just a few months before, all sounds entered the ear but the brain did not choose to acknowledge the weaker signals. In order to enhance hearing, the brain must be persuaded to listen more carefully.

Gradually Luke began to hear new sounds, boots squeaking on polished floors, gabbles of distant conversations and the whirls of cleaning droids. However he could not hear what was going on the room next door.

_Vader must have realised I would try something like this,_ thought Luke grumpily. He hated having his plans foiled, even as child, and now he felt an inevitable return to childish sulking. _Nothing ever goes my way these days._

Suddenly, much louder voices erupted just outside in the corridor. Two people were approaching and the clatter of their footsteps sounded like claps of thunder to Luke's oversensitive ears.

_Ow! Better tune down a little…_

"…as I said Inquisitor Darys, I will have your information soon," hissed a sleek male voice, getting gradually louder as the conversation approached.

"How? The boy has been transferred," replied a cool female voice.

"I told you I have my contacts." The voice had become strained with annoyance. Then the footsteps halted abruptly so that only one set could now be heard clattering down the corridor. "Is Lord Vader...in his private rooms?" The tone was laced with apprehension.

_That man is up to something…_

There was no audible reply but the woman had stopped walking. Finally she replied in lower tones than before.

"He is talking to the Emperor and has erected a force shield,"

"We are safe then," muttered the man more to himself than his companion. Then in a more audible tone he continued their discussion, "I shall compile what I can tonight, you will get the information on time."

The two sets of footsteps continued through the hall, getting increasingly louder.

"I will not expect anything less than the truth." hissed the woman, her voice suddenly threatening.

"You'll get your 'truth'," grumbled the Captain, his voice reaching a crescendo and Luke realised he had stopped outside the door to Vader's rooms. "Don't you have captive children to attend to?"

"What I do is none of your business, Captain," replied the woman a little less seriously.

"Of course, my lady, I hope all goes to plan."

"As do I, for your sake as well as mine."

The deafening hiss of a set of outer doors opening nearly caused Luke to yell with surprise. He had been unaware of how quiet the conversation had been.

A sense of apprehension gripped him as he stared at the black doors to his left, waiting for them to open. The conversation had left a flicker of fear in his heart, for it sounded highly suspicious.

_I wonder what these Imps are up to. It must be about the captive children…she must want to find out something about one of them…a boy…but how could the captain help her…unless he was privy to high priority information. _

Suddenly realisation dawned on Luke. The captain obviously served Vader as some kind of personal aid for he could enter the Dark Lord's chambers without restriction. Hence he would be able to ferret out information from Vader's quarters without attracting suspicion. The rat of a man had obviously seen fit to sell his privileged position to earn a little on the side.

An unwelcome sense of indignation swept through Luke,

_How dare he abuse my father's trust! _

With a jolt of horror Luke abruptly realised the context of his unvoiced thoughts.

_**My father? Did I just call Vader my father?** I must be going mad…_

Taking deep breaths to calm the screaming voices in his brain, Luke stared up at the ceiling, all thoughts of the treacherous captain forgotten.

_**I just called Vader my father…**_

Suddenly to his right the doors to the communication room slid open and the resident Sith Lord strolled into the room.

"You have not slept," rumbled Vader, his mask tilting towards Luke as he spoke.

"I'm not sleepy," snapped Luke in reply and turned over so that he would no longer have to see Vader's frightening armour.

"On contrary you are very tired…something is troubling you,"

"I'm fine, besides you are hardly qualified to give me mental therapy, are you."

Luke's voice sounded far to bitter to his ears but he could not prevent his despair from leaking out. This man…this monster had taken all the chances of happiness from him at every turn.

"My main objective in life is not to cause you pain, young one," stated Vader in a somewhat neutral tone that Luke had never heard before. However Luke was prepared for this emotional assault and he dispensed the growing feelings of rage into the force.

"My experiences state otherwise," he replied in his best version of the passive Jedi tone.

"Your Jedi Master has taught you well, but I can feel the rage in you. Use it and become more powerful -,"

"Why is everything you talk about always related to _power_!" snapped Luke, clearly unaware that he had just interrupted a Sith Lord and that the said Sith had allowed him to do so. Perhaps Vader had simply been too stunned to protest.

There was a short pause in which only the sound of Vader's breathing could be heard echoing through the still room, causing a prickling sensation at the base of Luke's neck.

"Power is central to everything," replied Vader finally, in a constricted tone that almost sounded as if he was trying to control his anger.

_It can't be…Vader never needs to control his anger._

"No it isn't…love is central to everything," countered Luke fully prepared to defend his ideals, even against the wrath of Vader.

He rolled back to face the Sith and sat upright on the pillows to at least level out the battlefield a little.

"Love is forbidden by the Jedi code," replied Vader, his blank mask preventing any display of emotions. However Luke sensed a spark of anger that accompanied the remark.

"Love is central the Jedi code. The code teaches compassion and compassion is a boundless love for everything."

Even though the words did not sound as impressive coming out of his mouth as they did when spoken by Ben, Luke was proud that he had managed to pronounce them without getting tongue tied. He had always possessed a stutter that manifested itself when ever he was face by a person of authority and Vader was very authoritative.

"The Jedi were hypocrites, they taught compassion and yet banned attachments, they taught peace and yet raged wars."

"The Jedi defended the Republic, they were heroes not villains!"

A dark current of amusement once again flowed through their strong connection.

"You forget that I was a Jedi for longer than you have been alive," remarked Vader as he stared down at Luke's prone form.

A waved of astonishment washed over Luke as he digested what had just been said and the annoying stutter that had made him so unpopular with the ladies threatened to return.

"You…you…were a _Jedi_!" The revelation was so great that Luke unconsciously reached out to the force to confirm its correctness. However the force remained stagnant, as though it was unwilling to come to his aid.

"I was a Jedi Knight."

"Then you-you-you…mur-murdered the Jedi…you're…a traitor…you murdered my father,"

Suddenly a spark ignited inside his mind and Luke blurted out the idea that had clogged his thoughts for so long, "Did you know my-my father?"

"No, Luke" said Vader slowly as if he was explaining a simple issue to a very dense child, "_I am_ your father."

Lines of anger formed across Luke's normally placid face.

"Anakin Skywalker was my father. If you were my father wouldn't my name be _Vader_?" Luke demanded as he spread out the flaw in Vader's story.

However the Dark Lord did not seem perturbed at the obvious mistake he had made.

"I assumed the title of Darth Vader when I became a Sith. Before that I was known as Anakin Skywalker,"

This time keeping control of his anger proved to be much more difficult but Luke fought the urge to explode, as he could clearly see in the brightness of the chamber that Vader had several lightsabres clipped to his belt, one of which belonged to Luke.

"Do you often assume the lives of people you kill, or is this a special case?"

"Kenobi lied to you, young one. You are a fool to trust him in the face of the obvious truth. Kenobi was always very devious."

"You don't know anything about Ben!" cried Luke before he could stop himself.

"You forget that he was once my Jedi Master and I lived with him for eleven years of my life. I know him far better than you do and he has tricked you with his cunning ways."

"The only person who has tricked me is you," snarled Luke and for a wild moment he contemplated hurling one of the numerous pillows at Vader but then he realised the stupidity of such an action. Unless Vader had a secret phobia of pillows, the soft cushions would do little harm to him.

_Except if I hit the off button for his respirator…is there even an off button for that monstrosity of a breathing machine?_

Perhaps Vader had sensed Luke's thoughts for a small surge of amusement echoed through their connection. However a persistent beeping prevented Vader from vocalising a reply.

With a sigh of frustration that was oddly distorted by his mask, Vader marched over to the door and pressed a comm button at was artfully blended into the black frame.

"Lord Vader, the fleet reports have arrived," came a steady voice through the comm link.

Imperial communications were of a much higher standard than the out dated machines used by the Alliance and Luke recognised the voice instantaneously. It was the treacherous captain.

"Proceed, Captain Jir, " rumbled Vader as he stepped away from the door which slid open smoothly.

_Jir? Is he perhaps related to the Ensign in Iona Base? No his name was Jirr._

A sleek, thin man stepped into the well lit room, his starched uniform blending well with the black décor. He had a hardened face of one who had seen much conflict and yet his physical appearance suggested he was no more than a few years out the academy. The captain could not have been described as _handsome_ but he did not lack physical attributes. The high cheekbones in addition to a long face hinted at a noble station and his carriage was proud.

Captain Jir did not seem surprised to see Luke lying underneath the mess of tangled sheets that covered the large bed. In fact there seemed to be a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. However Luke did not have time to ponder this as Vader gestured a gloved hand towards him.

"This is Luke Skywalker; he will be staying with me. Attend to his wishes within reason,"

"Of course, my Lord. Here is the report," the young man produced a small datapad from the pocket of his black uniform and handed it to Vader without the slightest hint of fear.

_He must be very familiar with Vader, indeed._

"My Lord, a Doctor Laisson, needs to administer a medical examination on Luke Skywalker. He wishes to know an appropriate time at which he may visit."

"Tomorrow," said Vader curtly.

"Of course, my Lord and one last thing Inquisitor Darys has some minor points to discuss regarding -,"

A black glove was raised and the Captain fell silent almost instantly.

"Tell her I shall see her at 2000 hours."

"I shall have her here in twenty minutes, my Lord," replied the captain respectfully and retreated back into the outer chambers without giving Luke another glance.

"Who was he?" demanded Luke casually as he propped himself up by his elbows.

"Captain Daine Jir, one of my personal aids," stated Vader as he moved towards the viewing port.

"What does Inquisitor Darys do?" asked Luke hoping to tap as much information as possible from Vader while he still could. "What was she going to discuss with you anyway?"

"_She?_" demanded Vader as he spun around with surprising speed causing his long black cape to fly out majestically around him. "How do you know Inquisitor Darys is a woman?"

_Oh no, how am I going to explain this one?_

"Uh…The doctor told me about her…" mumbled Luke nervously as Vader advanced towards him in long purposeful strides. "I asked him about the Inquisitors and he said she was the only woman…"

Marvelling at his own lie, Luke hastily looked up at the towering figure of Vader, his animosity rapidly turning into fear.

"I see…" Vader did not sound convinced by Luke's story. "I take it you have not seen her in person."

"Uh…no," muttered Luke, wondering where the conversation was going.

"She did not attempt to visit you in the medical bay?" Vader was pressing on.

"Not that I'm aware of…you'd better ask the doctor," said Luke feeling rather confused.

_Why would she want to visit me?_

"I will." Vader paused for a moment and the sound of his heavy breathing grated through the air. "It is good to know you can carry a civil conversation."

"Of course I can be civil," snapped Luke suddenly feeling defensive. "I'm only civil to people who are civil to me."

"Then I look forwards to more conversations in the future, young one," rumbled Vader as he pointed a gloved finger at Luke. Before Luke could open his mouth to protest Vader cut in, "It is time for you get some rest."

Abruptly an unstoppable wave of sleep hit his senses and Luke struggled to maintain control of his own body but Vader was far too powerful. His resistance became weaker and weaker as his body gave into the affects of the force. Slowly Luke lapsed into a deep sleep.

Soon Vader could hear the soft rhythmic breathing of his son as he slept peacefully in the mess of sheets. Resisting the urge to straighten the jumbled pile, the Dark Lord moved towards the viewing port and stretched out to Luke via their telepathic connection. A soft foggy sensation greeted his dark mind from the other side of the force thread. Some silver mist seemed to be hanging between them but Vader dissipated it with the Dark energies of the force. Below him on the bed, Luke stirred a little but then his movements lapsed and he was again quiet.

Gently he soothed the child with a calming wave of the force. _I will not hurt you, my son._

Luke's force signature was muted now as he slept and Vader reached into the boy's unguarded mind with the threads of the Dark Side.

_Now let us see where the rebels are, my young son._

As he brushed deeper into the boy's thoughts he saw images of the princess, the Wookie and of course the irritating smuggler, Han Solo. However as he finished shifting through the boy's conscious thoughts, Vader realised Luke did not know where the Rebels were.

In the deep recesses of the force Vader could have sworn he felt a flicker of amusement from a disembodied source.

* * *

**AN:** Three guesses who's amused. Next chapter: Vader meets Ameesa Darys who is not an original character and Luke is not as fast asleep as his father imagined.

Lando and Chewie will be back I haven't forgotten them.

Please review…I'm running out of excuses but **_pretty please _ **


	10. Escapades

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 9. Escapades

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett, Tremayne.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer:**Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to:** **mlgm**, for all her hard work in correcting my appalling grammatical mistakes.

**Review Thanks: Poppy Cotton of Underhill, Mina1, Quillian, Rignach, Marissa, Darth Chunky, Ilovethestories, SherazadeVader, Sithspawned, DarthGladiator45, xlilstarzx, VFSNAKE, Jessie237. **

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**AN:** I'm breaking the bad habit of using chapter titles beginning with "I". I have tried to recreate Leia's muddled thoughts through the writing so if it sounds discontinuous you can blame Darth Vader. 

Please note: **Exam season is upon me again so please hang in there. They (the exams) finish on the 12th of June so I will be sure to post a new chapter as soon as possible.**

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_It must be getting dark outside_, thought Leia as she dragged her fingers through her tangled hair, which had become grimy from the various unsavoury places she had visited in the course of the last day. 

Although she could not see the digital chrono that hung above her cell, Dash Rendar kept himself entertained by announcing the time every five minutes or so. Currently he was up to "19:17".

Wes Janson sat quietly in the adjacent cell, his eyes intense and focused as if he was puzzling over something beyond her comprehension. Rendar on the other hand was slump unceremoniously against the bars of his cell, occasionally groaning about the lack of creature comforts.

Perhaps attempting an escape wouldn't be so bad if it meant she got transferred to a high security suite. At least then she would not have to put up with the obnoxious smuggler.

To her left she could see that Wes was troubled, even though his composure was an excellent mask of neutrality. Her heightened senses were a hidden talent: _a woman's intuition_, her mother had called them. They had come to her rescue more than once during her short yet turbulent time with the Rebellion and she had learnt to trust them to a degree.

"Trust your feelings," was one of Luke's favourite sayings, an irritating mannerism no doubt acquired from General Kenobi. Despite the boundless yet private praise her father had for his character, Leia still did not trust Kenobi's motivations. There was more to him than met the eye and she had known that even before she saw him in person. (Did Leia ever see Kenobi?)

A familiar feeling of lose caused her to break from the conspiring thoughts running through her mind. Kenobi was gone, just like her father, both lives destroyed by the greed of the Empire…the greed of Darth Vader.

At times when her ever present and passionate rage threatened to overtake her senses, Leia felt glad that she did not have to adhere to the so called "Jedi Code". _If I had to prevent myself from getting angry, I would probably have to join a convent…or kill myself._

Anger and aggression were significant parts of her personality, perhaps even more so than empathy or honesty, for she could not begin to imagine a life of forced calm. Anger was her strength and she kept it close to her heart for she knew one day it could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Wes Janson was stirring from his hunched position on the floor. It looked highly uncomfortable but then again fighter pilots were used to discomfort, being a regrettable occupational hazard. However he looked more…cheerful, if anyone could be described as such when being held in captivity by _Darth Vader_. His eyes had regained some of the mischievous sparkle Luke had often described to her.

Janson was a friend of Luke's, though not a close confide like she was, but a friend nevertheless. The practical joker of the Rogue Squad was always being hunted by one pilot or another for transgressions that Leia found highly amusing, though she had only ever witnessed one such incident.

Several weeks ago not long after Luke was finally allowed to leave the medical bay, Wes Janson decided that he needed something to lift his spirits out from the gutter; hence a rather funny prank ensued. The resourceful pilot managed to obtain a V-20 Vocalizer and persuaded the naïve Luke into fitting the device into the comm link of Wedge's X-wing. Thus the next morning during a routine drill, the rest of the Rogue squad were surprised to hear Leia's voice shouting at them from Wedge's fighter. The Vocalizer (you spelled this with a z eariler in the paragraph) held a pre-recorded message made by Wes that played back through the comm-link when ever Wedge spoke, giving the most outlandish orders. However no one was prepared to risk the wrath of Princess Leia and the Rogue Squad preformed the circus tricks without the slightest hesitation, much to her amusement when she found out.

Wedge did not have time to plot his revenge due to the abrupt evacuation, but Leia like to think that he was brooding away in his X-wing just waiting for a chance to get Wes back…if Wedge was still alive, that is.

"19:35 and counting," announced Dash Rendar in his best android voice, which, like all aspects of the conceited smuggler, was mediocre to the last degree.

"Princess, do you like playing dress up?" muttered Wes out of the blue and Leia stared at him with confusion. "I used to play it as a kid, you know. Me and my brother Will, we used to dress up as stormtroopers and officers…"

_Stormtroopers and officers? _Suddenly realisation dawned on Leia. _He's trying to communicate with me. _

"I can't say I enjoy dressing up very much. It was _far too time consuming_,"

"We didn't have _much else to do_, you know."

"Oh, we had far more fun playing _hide and seek_. There used to be a sort of _walkway_ above the gardens and we used to hide in there. The walkway led to all parts of the palace, all we needed to do was to _climb up_."

"Of course, your play _facilities_ were very good. I didn't have much of a chance to play in that kind of environment, after all, our farm _did not have any walkways_."

"Oh, we used to improvise when the walkway was off limits…surely your farm had _ventilation shafts_?"

As soon as she had spoken Leia knew that she had made her ideas far too obvious. Dash looked up from where he was slumped against the bars, angry red welts had formed on his face where he had pressed too hard.

"When I was kid, we used to hide up in _ventilation shafts_ too. In fact it was so easy to get into them, they had _openings every few metres_," said the smuggler obviously hoping to tip his two credits worth into the conversation.

"I was far too scared of enclosed spaces when I was kid. I used to be afraid that _we would not be able to get back out again_," replied Wes.

Dash snorted and pulled himself up to a state half resembling a sitting position.

"You big sissy, you…we used to crawl along the shafts and eavesdrop on the people below. That way we would know _where to come out_."

"On Alderaan," said Leia smoothly, "The ventilation shafts were spacious and white. They _opened out into hangar bays_ because the ships would need to be kept in dry conditions."

"Well that is a very well thought out system, Princess," acquiesced Wes, "but I thought the palace would have regular _security checks_,"

"Oh no, that would take _far too much time_. No one thought for a moment that we were using the shafts for our entertainment."

Wes's resolve was slipping and the corners of his mouth relaxed somewhat as he pondered their arguments.

"I _really need the toilet_. Do you think the stormtroopers will let me go if I ask really nicely?"

From the other side of the corridor Dash laughed heartily… a little too heartily and resumed starting at the ceiling.

Set at regular intervals in the ceiling of the corridor were squares of wire mesh where the ventilation shafts opened up, releasing the cold dry air that circulated throughout the prison block.

Leia had made a conscious effort not to study them too closely in case they were being monitored. However through her brief glances she had gathered that it would not take much force to break them open. The ceiling was low, typical of the detention levels of any Imperial compound but the hall was well lit and there were no places to hide. Hoping to disguise her intent and thoughtful expression from any security cameras, Leia resumed fixing her elaborate hair style. Carefully her slid the sharp, dagger like diamond hair pins into place as her handmaidens had done so many times before.

The sound of marching footsteps grew louder as Leia fixed the last pin into place. Her normally immaculate hair was in place giving her a nonchalant air of calm confidence.

_This is has got to be the most stupid thing I am ever going to do in my entire life…but it feels alright... _

Leia had never been an adrenaline addict but now as she felt the power gushing through her veins, she finally understood why so many people enjoyed death defying stunts. The sound of her rugged breathing grated against her ears and she found herself wondering whether it would sound unnatural to the stormtroopers.

_Oh who cares? They'll be unconscious soon anyway!_

The stormtroopers were approaching, marching three abreast down the hallway. The harsh bright light reflected off their armour giving it a wicked glimmer but Leia knew the armour was the only part of a stormtrooper that actually functioned.

_Let's just hope Dash and Wes know what they're doing…Oh! Why in the galaxy did I end up in this mess! With Rendar of all people!_

"Hey! Hey you!" Wes called obnoxiously. _So much for asking nicely…_

The stormtroopers did not appear to have heard him for they continued their rigid march down the corridor without so much as a change in speed.

"We _really_ need to relieve ourselves!" cried Dash desperately as he squashed his square forehead against he bars. "Hey! Hey!"

"Well, that worked," said Leia sarcastically as she reached to undo her hair. She could feel that one bun was slightly off centre and it annoyed her to no end.

"Lady, do you have to keep fidgeting with your hair?" demanded Dash as he wilted back into his original state.

"At least I'm doing something constructive!" snapped Leia as she pulled a long pin from her hair.

The hard blue diamond was carved with the royal seal of Alderaan and she took care not to look at it too often in case her composure crumpled at an inappropriate time. It was shaped like a long thin dagger but the profile was entirely flat, a classic design of the Fru'marrn Period. The edges were polished and sharpened, which presented a small hazard to all those who wore it. However the Royal Ladies in Waiting had always arranged these pins with expert precision, to make them worthy jewels for a queen. Her mother would wear them at grand social gatherings and her hair would sparkle like the midnight sky…but her mother wasn't here anymore…

"_Blue Alderaan diamond is one of the hardest minerals in the galaxy, my dear…"_

"_I don't like hard things, mammy."_

"_Hard is an essential part of life…but that does not mean it has to be unpleasant. Hard can take many forms…"_

"_My Aunties say I'm hard to tame, mammy, and that's not a good thing, is it?"_

"_My dear, diamonds are hard in that they persevere where others resign, diamonds are not afraid of bumps or scrapes for they will only shine out all the clearer afterwards…"_

"_Not after they break, Pappy says diamonds can be broken,"_

"_Yes dear but even when they are broken their glow is not diminished, for they will inspire beauty in others…"_

"_How many big diamonds do you have mammy?"_

"_I have many, my dear, but my most precious diamond is sitting right beside me…_

"_I'm not a diamond, mammy, I'm a princess but I would like a diamond pin, one of the sharp and polished ones you have…"_

"_Of course my princess…my beautiful, brave princess, I hope life will be kind to you..."_

"Princess Leia, are you alright?" the tentative voice of Wes Janson evapourated her waking dream and the memories subsided to leave nothing but dampness in the corner of her eyes.

"I'm fine, Wes," replied Leia and she felt her voice shake despite her efforts to keep it steady. "I'm fine..."

"Well, so much for our toilet break," said Wes as he turned away rather abruptly. A thin trail of moisture was running down her cheek and Leia hastily wiped it away. Tears were a futile gesture.

"Hello!" cried Dash and for a moment Leia thought he was addressing her, but she saw that his head was strained against the bars to her left. "Hello! Come on you bucket-heads! I'm about to p-,"

"Dash!" snapped Wes as he stopped pacing his cell. "Talking like that isn't going to help."

"Damn you!" shouted Dash to the Imperial organisation in general as he hopped from one leg to the other and Leia realised it was not another one of his impudent acts. "I'm about to WET MYSELF!"

Rendar's voice echoed off the walls until it sounded as if there were several of him shouting at different times. However as the voices died down there was only a ringing silence in the detention block.

"Damn!" growled Dash once again as he kicked the bar of his cell. A hollow ringing sound was followed predictably by a piercing howl as Dash cradled his toe in distress. "What are these damn bars made from? _Diamond_?"

"_Blue Alderaan diamond is one of the hardest minerals in the galaxy, my dear…"_

"Oh stars!" cried Leia before she could stop herself. Wes turned to look at her with anticipation and Dash dropped his injured foot in surprise.

"Princess?"

"I…um…my hair pin stabbed me," said Leia hesitantly as she turned away from their enquiring gaze. "I really must rearrange my hair…"

Hurriedly she retreated to the back of her cell in order to get some privacy. She pulled a long diamond hair pin from her hair. It sparkled brightly as though the last five years of danger and toil had not occurred; instead she was back in the Royal Palace of Alderaan sorting through her jewels.

_It's now or never…_

Calmly with a casual air that she hoped would not look suspicious, Leia made her way towards the electronic lock, a small grey box set into the vertical pattern of steel bars that formed the front of her cell. She draped her right arm regally around the lock to hide it from view of any prying cameras. The large flowing sleeves of her gown completely obscured the lock and with her other hand she pressed the sharpened edge of the hair pin to the nearest bar.

_I hope this doesn't make much noise…_

Slowly she dragged the hair pin across the surface of the bar, fully expecting to hear a piercing screech. However there was only a small scratching noise as the soft metal bar gave way and a long sharp gash had formed across its surface. Excitement bubbled in her stomach but Leia forced herself to keep calm, any minute now another patrol might pass by.

"Lady, stop hugging the bars,"

"I am merely congratulating them on teaching you a nice lesson," commented Leia smoothly as she looked up to see Dash sprawled on his back, his neck craned backward to look at her.

"Lady, I used to think you were witty but now you're just plain _weird_,"

Leia didn't both to reply as she dragged the hair pin backwards and forwards, working her way steadily through the thin metal bar.

Several moments later the glittering edge of her diamond hair pin sliced smoothly through the other side of the metal bar.

_This is a little too easy…_

A fine sheen of sweat had formed on her brow but Leia did not bother to remove it for there were still several more bars to slice through.

It was a painstaking process but Leia worked through the four bars on the upper-side of the lock without any disturbances. Dash and Wes had resigned themselves to ignorance and the former had decided that daydreaming was more interesting than Leia's mysterious activity.

On close inspection the cuts were looked rough and jagged but Leia had confidence that the next patrol would pass by very much unaware of her little stunt. There were four more bars on the underside to dissect, and Leia discretely dropped own to inspect them behind the screen of her embroidered sleeve. Her diamond hair pin was not showing any worse for wear and she swiftly sliced through another two bars.

_Only two more to go…_

Suddenly the faint sound of footsteps greeted her ears. Leia straightened up awkwardly as she draped her arms around the lock. The hunched position had taken its toll on her back and a dull ache throbbed through her waist. The patrol appeared around the corner at the end of the corridor and marched swiftly down the hallway like they had done so many times before.

_Life must be so boring for a stormtrooper._

However as they approached her, she saw that there was an addition to their ranks. A small thin officer was marching behind the block of glistening white armour with a determined stride. As the squad passed by, Leia unconsciously tightened her grip on the lock.

The officer halted several paces from her cell and turned to survey the three prisoners with reluctance. Conscious of her nervous posture, Leia tried to relax as she eyed the Imperial. He was middle aged with a touch of grey in his black hair. Small beady eyes glared at her from behind thick eyebrows and thin, claw-like hands clasped his blaster.

"Good evening, officer," said Leia smoothly. "How may I help you?"

"Quiet, Rebel. I have been informed that one of you wishes to use the facilities. I am here to escort that person."

His voice was curt and his tone rude but Leia was used to being treated like a criminal by the Empire.

"Really, well I am afraid your sources are erroneous," said Leia calmly. Dash in the opposite cell finally found the energy to drag himself up from the floor but he did not protest against Leia's assertions.

"I was told -," snapped the officer but Leia interrupted with her senatorial voice.

"We are _not_ in need of your assistance, officer. I suggest you leave before your superiors deem you worthy of a demotion for fraternising with the enemy."

If Imperials were allowed splutter with indignation, the officer would probably have done so. However he clamped his mouth shut with finality and marched stiffly away down the corridor, clearly not wishing to be in their company for a second more.

"Well you dispatched him well," commented Wes as he watched the retreating green uniform. "Although I would have liked to use the refresher."

"That can wait," muttered Leia as she once again lowered her eyes to the bars. _Only two more to go._

The last two bars seemed to take longer to cut than the others, but perhaps it was simply her nerves playing tricks on her perception. As the last bar was sliced through Leia hesitantly gave the door a little push. It opened just by a few millimetres but she knew that was enough to alert a vigilant watcher.

With one determined push, the door swung wide open and Leia jumped out half expecting Dash Rendar to cry with amazement. However he simply smiled smugly and straightened up to face her.

"Run down to the end of the corridor, there is an automated locking system on the left wall. It's a big white box you can't miss it. Open the box and pull the lever for manual over ride. Then open cells number 45 and 48. Don't forget to close them afterwards. The patrol comes by in seven minutes,"

"Dash…" said Leia in surprise. There was much more to the smuggler than she had previously thought.

"Hurry," hissed Wes, "and get a long pole or step ladder from the cleaning droid's closet to open the ventilation hatch. It's opposite the lock box."

Leia made a mental note to look at Wes Janson in a new and more respectful way. However survival instinct kicked in and she sprinted down the corridor, fully aware that they had less than seven minutes to pull this plan off.

The corridor was empty as she rushed past the long line of cells. A grey metal door, the one they had come through several hours earlier, loomed up ahead and just as Dash had described, there was a large white box set into the wall on her left. With bated breath Leia wretched the door open and pulled the bright yellow lever downwards with all her might. Abruptly ten rows of small red lights blinked into existence in the panel above, each situated directly underneath a printed number.

Hastily she searched from the right cell numbers, praying that Rendar had been right. 45 and 48 were not as hard to locate as she had thought and she pressed the red lights underneath the numbers with growing excitement. They blinked once and dimmed to be replaced by a green glow.

"It's open!" she shouted, not caring if she was overheard because that was of little consequence now. No doubt Vader himself was on his way to catch them.

Down the hall she heard the rapid clattering of footsteps and she turned to see Dash and Wes running towards her at full pelt.

"There's an opening directly above us," panted Dash as he pointed above their heads at the wire mesh panel set amongst the Imperial grey tiles.

Wes meanwhile opened the closet to her right, which was aptly label "Janitor's Resource Room".

"There's a ladder and a mop in here," commented Wes as he dragged he two items out with him.

"Why does a cleaning droid need a step ladder?" asked Leia as she stared suspiciously at the equipment.

"No time for doubts, besides the Empire likes to employ people to clean,"

Dash dragged the step ladder until it was directly underneath the grate and he climbed up to the top platform with the mop in his hand. The ceiling was so low that Dash to could almost touch the panel when he stretched out his hands. Roughly he shoved the head of the mop up against the grate.

If it wasn't so nerve racking Leia would probably have found Dash Rendar hitting the ceiling tiles with a mop rather amusing. However there was no time for amusements.

The grate popped open on the third thrust and it flipped back on its hinges into the ventilation shaft.

"Right Dash you go first, Leia'll be next."

Dash did not hesitate and with one small jump he grasped the edges of the square opening firmly with his hands. Using his considerable bicep muscles, he hoisted himself up into the ventilation shaft, while Leia watched with anticipation.

"It's pretty clean up here, enough room to crawl through," came Dash's muffled voice from within the hollow tunnel.

"Come on, Princess."

Wes was pushing her forwards and she climbed up the surprisingly shaky ladder. Dash had made the feat seem simple but now as she stared at the black hole a _very_ long way above her head, Leia finally appreciated how much taller Dash actually was.

"Princess jump," said Wes as he held the ladder steady at its base.

Summoning her courage Leia leapt upwards and scrabbled for a hold on the edge of the opening. Suddenly large rough hands gripped her wrists and she was pulled up into the shaft.

The first thing she noticed was the darkness. The light from the corridor only penetrated several metres into the tunnel and beyond that was a dark abyss. Not even the walls of the shaft were visible. From what she could see the shaft was formed by matt black tiles that were smoothly polished but did not shine as she had expected. There was enough room to crawl on all fours but certainly not enough space to sit up.

Below her she saw Wes Janson climbing up the ladder and she hastily crawled away from the opening to let him in. Dash squeezed past her in the narrow space and offered his hand to help Wes.

Janson jumped a little too vigorously and sent the ladder crashing to the ground with a deafening clash. The ladder and the mop skidded on the polished floor back into the cupboard causing the other supplies to fall out into the corridor.

Dash managed to grab Wes' hand and heaved the pilot up into their hiding place. Leia crawled further down the tunnel to make way for Wes and as she did so she heard the distinctive sound of marching feet.

"Well, that was lucky," whispered Dash as he surveyed the destruction. "Quickly close the grate."

Leia heard more than saw Wes closing the grate as Dash poked rudely at the back of her leg.

"Move over, Lady, I need to lead."

If they had not been stuck in a cramped lightless shaft Leia would have probably slapped the smuggler, but they were currently running for their lives and right now she could not think of a better person to lead them.

"Fine," she hissed as she pressed her body against the smooth cold surface of the wall and let the bulky smuggler crawl past.

"Come on," he muttered.

"Where to first?"

"The toilets of course!"

* * *

The heavy fog that had clouded Luke's mind had begun to lift and his sleep clogged brain started to register the sensations of his surroundings. 

_I'm still in Vader' quarters…what time is it?_

Reluctantly he pried his eyelids apart and surveyed the room. Nothing had changed except for the streaks of starlight outside the view port.

_Oh no, we're in hyperspace!_

All thoughts of escape were chased from his mind by the sheer size of this revelation. Unless he could somehow persuade Vader to drop out of hyperspace any chance of jumping ship would be gone.

_Oh Ben, where are you when I need you,_ thought Luke desperately as he searched the force for any signs of his departed mentor but the force was choked with the dark side and Luke withdrew from the cold touch.

Curiously he reached out once again to locate Vader's aura. The dark expanse of energy was situated just outside the room, perhaps in the outer chamber.

_He's supposed to be meeting with someone, isn't he? That Inquisitor Darys…_

Hesitantly he looked at the chrono on the bedside table. "20:05" was displayed in red digital figures.

_Perhaps I could eavesdrop on him again, find out who they've been holding captive on this ship. I highly doubt it's criminals…_

Drawing the force towards him, Luke performed the force exercise that he had spent so long perfecting with Master Yoda. Slowly the distant sounds of conversation drifted into his ears.

"…there are four of them, my Lord, that I believe you will find satisfactory. Two are children of escaped Jedi. They were hidden at Plett's Well." The smooth cultured voice of Inquisitor Darys delivered her report in a neutral tone, as though in suspense for Vader's approval.

"I am well aware of the fact, Darys, you are not here to report to me," growled Vader, his voice filled with annoyance. Clearly Inquisitor Darys was not amongst his favourite agents.

"Yes, my lord. I was hoping to start training Roganda in the ways of the dark side. Of all the force-sensitives we have captured, she is the most powerful."

The Inquisitor spoke in a submissive tone, which did not suit the subtle yet commanding voice.

"You wish to take an apprentice?" Vader's voice was a mixture of anger and derisive surprise. The situation was rapidly deteriorating and Luke could not help but feel a hint of glee at hearing the Inquisitor in trouble.

"I do not wish to take an apprentice, my Lord, for I am not qualified. I simply wish to prepare these children for your tutelage." The reply was so fluid that Luke was sure she had rehearsed it many times before, perhaps she had been working up to this moment for several days.

Vader did not reply at once to her suggestion and Luke called on the force to enhance his hearing until he would distinctly hear the grating sounds of the respirator.

"Inquisitor Tremayne will be willing to take another apprentice once Ronin has moved on," said Darys, her voice laced with eagerness.

"You will bring them to me tomorrow; I shall assess them myself,"

Suddenly the texture of the force shifted and Luke could feel his connection with the Dark Lord opening. Hastily he diverted his attention to keeping their connection sealed but Vader was far too strong.

_Oh Sith! Caught in the act!_

**_/Caught in the act indeed, kindly explain why you are eavesdropping on my conversation/_**

There was anger but also a hint of amusement passing through their bond and Luke pulled away from Vader's dark presence.

**_/I was just curious, beside you're planning something evil. I have a right to protect myself/_** The excuse sounded lame even inside his head but Vader's anger did not increase.

_**/Curiosity killed the Jawa. You should be careful of what you hear/**_

Abruptly as the connection had been opened it was sealed and Luke slumped back down on the bed with a feeling of foreboding. Somehow he did not think that Vader would let him off that easily. However a new tangle of information had been added to the ever growing knot of thoughts.

_Vader has captive children on board! The-the-Hutt Faced Sleemo!_

Even as the thoughts formed in his mind, Luke hastily felt around the force to check that Vader was not eavesdropping on _his_ thoughts. The dark presence was moving towards the doors and seconds later the metal panel slide open with a hiss.

"Why have you kidnapped innocent children?" demanded Luke before he could stop himself.

"I would have thought you have no qualms when it came to kidnapping, the Alliance does indulge in such activities a lot."

Vader's voice low and almost casual in tone, but Luke knew it was just another trick to goad him.

"You are wrong, the Alliance does not kidnap children from their parents, unlike the Empire we have a set of ethical laws."

Luke felt proud at how steady his voice was even though the Dark Lord of the Sith was advancing towards him.

"The Alliance kidnapped the children of Governor Felix just last week and held them for ransom."

Luke shook his head in denial. The Alliance was short of money but he knew that they would not kidnap children.

"You're wrong!" he replied adamantly, "You're wrong. You confuse the Rebels with mere pirates."

"There is little difference between the two groups, they are both criminal organisations bent of disrupting the peace of this galaxy,"

"What peace?" demanded Luke suddenly feeling a flood of anger, "What peace? You call fear, oppression and slavery peace? If the Empire was so good why is there even a rebellion?"

A subtle hint of dark delight passed through the bond between them and Luke realised Vader was steering the conversation.

"My naïve son, the rebellion wants power but instead of gaining it through legitimate channels, they have simply decided to overthrow the government using force. Do you really believe that you are fighting for peace, for justice?

If the rebellion did not exist, the Empire would be free to invest more money into schools, hospitals, policing, to improve the farming methods of the Outer Rim planets, to prevent hunger and poverty."

The last sentence was aimed at Luke personally and he knew that Vader had been researching his background. However the memory of his aunt and uncle scrounging for food during the "Great Hunger" drained his resolve. The starved, pinched faces of the moisture farmers floated back into his mind like a reawakened nightmare.

Out of desperation Uncle Owen had gone to the Imperial officer at Anchorhead with several other farmers to beg for relief supplies. However instead of sending aid the governor had thrown his uncle in jail for treason. For four months Uncle Owen festered in prison and Aunt Beru had given up all hope of seeing him alive but it was Ben Kenobi who travelled to Anchorhead to investigate. Upon finding out that a release fee was needed to free Uncle Owen, Ben had sold his meagre possession to help raise enough money.

The memory subsided and Luke felt a stinging sensation in the back of his eyes. The grief was still raw, Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru and Ben Kenobi were dead and it was all the Empire's fault!

_No I must not loose my temper. Ben would not be happy if I lost my temper…_

He could feel Vader looking quizzically at him but he turned away. Luke was no mood to start another argument. Hopefully Vader would eventually grow tired of talking to him.

"I'm tired, I need to sleep," said Luke curtly and he curled up under the blankets like he used to do back at the rebel base. To his surprise Vader did not argue.

"Your health is my most important concern, rest then, we shall continue to talk in the morning. Whatever you have overheard is of no consequence. I suggest you forget it or I shall be forced to make you do so."

The threat hung in the air and Luke blocked their mental connection with a surge of energy. He didn't want to think what Vader was capable of. However in the deepest corner of his mind, he kindled a small spark of triumph. At least Vader did not know he had overheard Captain Jirr's plot. If Jirr was so keen to keep his conversations secret, perhaps whatever he was about to do would damage Vader…

However before he could continue that train of thought a familiar sense of sleepiness invaded his mind.

The last thing Luke heard before the sensation of sleep overwhelmed him was the distinctive voice of Ben Kenobi echoing inside his head.

"_Have faith in your father,"_

* * *

**AN:** I beginning to see a pattern here, Luke wakes up… Luke overhears something… Luke gets anaesthetised by the force... Ben pops up to gloat. Don't worry it can't go on forever. 

Next chapter: Lando and Chewie have their own adventure and Vader does childcare, well his version of childcare.

Please review,Vader's sanity is hanging in the balance.


	11. Fragments

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 10. Fragments

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett, Tremayne.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: DarthGladiator45** for your continued support from day 1 and **mlgm **for your diligent contribution to this story.

* * *

**AN:** I am sooooo soooo soooo sorry for not updating for two whole months. I had my exams in June and I am now on holiday for a month and I am updating from my holiday destination. Please forgive me…

Please note that as I am currently on holiday in adifferent country I cannot load the next chapter of the Illusionist on to my web page.

* * *

If there ever was a droid capable of feeling emotion, that droid would have to be R2-D2, or at least that was what Jun Mahoney thought. Ever since the base had been evacuated and Luke had disappeared without clearance into the depth of space, the little astromech droid seemed to enter a very human state of depression. It refused to perform tasks and holed itself into a small storage compartment at the back of the transport ship with the crates of high explosives. Somehow this development did not appear to disturb any of the other crew members on board this particular transport, but then again they were Alderaans and nothing could possibly frazzle them anymore.

The rebel base was going to be reestablished on Etan Z-4, a small, temperate, luck forsaken moon orbiting around a dying star somewhere deep in the outer rim. Jun was too depressed to discover their exact co-ordinates. Besides, he was only the under-communications officers aboard and thus was constantly on his feet conducting calls between the various sectors of the ship. The monotonous process of asking for more towels to be delivered to cargo hold 23 was enough to numb his senses. However seeing an astromech droid, particularly one with more gadgets than an X-wing fighter, break into a cargo hold filled with high explosives and resolutely lock itself in, was enough to keep Jun Mahoney on edge.

"Commander, twenty minutes until we drop out of hyperspace," came the crisp, precise voice of C3PO.

"Very well," barked the captain, "…Mahoney, get that astromech droid out of the cargo hold before it blows us all to bits!"

Jun could not move faster to obey the order.

* * *

On a large field, just outside the small settlement of Kiyr, stood the Millennium Falcon. To say that it was in bad shape would be an insult to the fire power of the Imperial fleet, for the port side had been blasted beyond recognition. 

Even as Lando surveyed the damage for the fourth time, he could still feel the rising sense of dread that often accompanied narrow escapes from doom.

"Well, we're gonna be here for a while, Chewie, so make yourself comfortable,"

Chewie, who was carefully counting the state of the art spare parts they had obtained from Kay, did not bother to reply.

"That boy promised to be back soon with another truck load, but it's nearly sunset and there's no sigh of him," grumbled Lando as he marched back and forth hoping that the situation might look more optimistic from a different angle. It did not.

"From what I can see the engine only partially charred so no need to replace anything in there…the ventral flaps are all but gone, but they're easy to come by…the minor thrusters will be more of a problem, but there's still half of one left and we really didn't need two in the first place…"

Chewie growled in annoyance as Lando accidentally tripped over a shiny cylinder.

"Sure…I'll stop bothering you and go inside…I do hope those kids are alright…"

The interior of the ship was more or less the same as Lando had known it all those years ago. The upholstery was worn and the décor faded but it was still the Millennium Falcon. The cockpit was unfortunately a complete and utter mess. The junk Han had picked up over the years seemed to all be stored in the cockpit and was now strewn across the floor: datapads, protective gloves, wires, steel rods, homing beacons and of course blasters.

"…the darn mess, you'd think we'd been robbed or something…"

Lando cleared the radar screen of rubbish with a swipe of his hand and several pieces of metal clattered to the ground. To his immense annoyance he found that the radar was still on despite the fact that he had switched off the main power supply. A separate power system was still running and it was dangerous to make repairs without cutting the power. Unfortunately, like the owner of the ship, the radar did not have a convenient "off" button in sight.

"Trust Han to install something so stupid," muttered Lando as he pulled several magnetic cables from the vicinity of the radar to reveal a set of tiny sunken black buttons encased in transparent casing. With a triumphant cry Lando pried open the case only to be confronted with five identical buttons, all of which had no indications as to their purpose.

"Alright, one of them must be the off button so if I press them all the radar is bound to turn off at some point. Besides its not as if this radar contains a self destruct mechanism, there's no harm in trying…"

The first button merely increased the range of the radar so that several small blinking dots and one large elongated blob appeared on the edge of the screen. Beside each entity was a small floating label. The elongated blob was ambiguously labeled "E" and was resolutely traveling away from the centre of the screen as if trying to hide from Lando's sight.

"There shouldn't be any large ships in this system…I wonder what "E" stands for…"

A low growl interrupted Lando's soliloquy and Chewie's fury head appeared from behind the open doors.

"Ah Chew, just talking to myself and trying to switch off this darn radar. Do you know how Han came to install this thing?"

Chewie's reply was uninterested at best.

"He won it in a game of sabacc?" asked Lando disbelievingly, "Well, Han was always short of money and sense. Surely he would have recognized a fake radar, he's not _that_ stupid."

"**It's not broken**," growled Chewie as he stacked up a pile of discarded datapads, "**It's always been like that.**"

"That's what I mean, Han got conned, it's probably nothing more than a kid's toy,"

"**Why don't you try out some of its other functions, see if you can change the display,**" suggested Chewie absently as he hurried to retrieve what look like an excessively decorated and extremely short steel rod from the floor.

"Well, I got nothing to loose,"

As soon as Lando's finger hit the third button the entire screen was lit up by a green light from below and the round entities started to sharpen at the edges.

"Chew…Chew look at this, it's…"

In astonishment Lando stared at the radar as dagger shaped ships came into focus. They were unmistakably Star Destroyers. The labels elongated to reveal:

"_The Executor!_"

If Han or Dash had been around to hear Lando's squeal of pure terror they would probably never let his live it down. Chewie, who had more acute hearing than either of his absent smuggler companions, dropped the datapads in the haste to protect his ears form the shrieking noise.

"Chewie…the coordinates says the Executor is in this system…" said Lando so quietly that he nearly jumped when Chewie replied.

"**No, actually, the radar shows that the Imperial fleet is orbiting this moon…**" corrected Chewbacca as though Lando had made a trivial technical error while rewiring a plug.

"_What do we do!_"

There were seldom moments when Lando Calrissian panicked, you could count them on one hand, but the news that an entire Imperial Fleet was currently directly his head was enough to throw Lando off balance.

"**They're leaving though**," growled Chewie as he regained his hold on the datapads. "**They must not have detected our presence**,"

"Or…" muttered Lando his face suddenly ashen with dread, "Or…they have what they came for…"

* * *

The corridors of the Executor were dark at this hour and Inquisitor Ameesa Darys was the only person present the in communications suite apart from the drab personnel and monotonous droid units. Several of the junior officers who were not yet used to night shifts were yawning, whilst others had simply given in to nature's call and where snoring gently at their stations. 

Ameesa Darys had specially chosen this obscure communications suite in the lower levels to avoid attention or awkward questions. The personnel were fresh from the academy and ill trained to withstand the rigors of naval life. It was all too easy to wipe their insignificant minds after each transaction.

"I need to contact the Imperial Centre," demanded Ameesa as she moved forwards into the puddle of dull light that illuminated the main control table. A young man with an unhealthy complexion jolted upright but upon seeing her grey jumpsuit slumped back to his seat.

"Set 2, first on the right," he muttered as he turned on his monitor.

Ameesa left without a word.

The room was smaller than a cleaning closet but the facilities were more than adequate. The young officer had connected her promptly and now as she sat in the only chair facing the holo-projector, she could feel his consciousness slip through the force as he fell asleep again.

Suddenly the holo-projector came to life a miniature blue figure appeared dress elaborately in a long embroidered robes studded with millions of credits worth of jewels and gold. The long reptilian face sported an arrogant expression and the mouth was twisted into a self satisfied smile.

"Inquisitor Darys, you have good news?" The blue projection flicked a little before her eyes.

"Yes, Prince Xizor, Vader has captured Skywalker -,"

"-And he has informed the Emperor, who has seen fit to inform me," interrupted the blue figure and a miniature hand waved dismissively towards her. "How is the plan going?"

"Vader's personal aide was easy to sway and rest assured, Prince Xizor, he knows nothing about our real purpose."

"I do hope so," hissed the cold voice, "Or your life would not be enough to pay for the damages."

Ameesa smoothly pushed away her feelings of great annoyance at the ideal threat.

"Of course…Vader has been most protective of the boy and I have not been able to come into contact with him -,"

"Well, I suggest you try harder!" snapped Xizor and the miniature blue figure leaned towards her in annoyance. "We only have a small window of opportunity before Vader moves back into Imperial territory. The plan must succeed!"

"I understand, Prince Xizor," replied Ameesa with a harder edge to her voice, "The plan is fool proof, we will not fail,"

"Very well, I want another report in the next twelve hours, regardless," said Xizor curtly and the transmission was cut.

Silently Ameesa Darys left the communications suite and took care to wipe the memories of all the personnel as she left.

* * *

Dark, heavy breathing echoed through Luke's sleep fogged mind and he briefly wondered who had such a nasty cold. He was floating above cloud city again with the masses of peach tinted clouds drifting below him. 

_Am I dreaming again?_ Wondered Luke as he moved effortlessly towards the beautiful rounded structure of the city.

_Perhaps, you can say that,_ came an altogether over familiar voice.

_Ben! Ben is that you?_

_Hello, Luke, it has been a long time since you have been able to hear me speak…_came Ben's voice as clear and concise as if he was standing right beside Luke.

_I don't understand…_

_You have been ignoring the voice of reason, Luke Skywalker,_ chastised Ben.

_The voice of reason? What do mean?_ A wave of confusion over took Luke and he stalled in mid-air.

_Luke, you cannot live in denial for the rest of your life. It is time you faced the truth. _

_The truth? The truth about what, Ben?_ demanded Luke in confusion. _Is there something I need to find out for my training?_

_No, Luke, your training is complete. You know all that you have to know. _

A rush of pride and excitement filled Luke and he was once again racing towards Cloud City.

_Am I a Jedi Knight now, Ben__？_

_No, my very young apprentice, you are far from being a Jedi Knight. There are many more skills you must acquire, many more challenges for you to face, much more wisdom for you to gain…_

_But you said…_

_I said you know all that you need to know to obtain all that you need to become a Jedi. You will soon be the last of our kind and a great burden falls on your shoulders…_

_Yes, I know, I must destroy the Empire and bring back the Jedi order, _said Luke with grim determination.

_There is much more to your mission than you choose to acknowledge, Luke. It is time to search your feelings and face the truth. I admit that I was reluctant in life to reveal such knowledge to you and had I done as the force instructed this will not have happened. However I implore you to rectify my mistake. _

_What truth? What mistake? Why do you keep saying this without explaining it to me? Tell me Ben, what do I have to do!_

_The simplest ideals are often the hardest to live up to. You know what you must do, Luke Skywalker. It is no use for me to tell you that which you refuse to acknowledge. _

_What am I refusing to acknowledge, Ben, _cried Luke desperately as he felt Ben's presence slip away.

'_Search your feelings, you know it to be true'_

_Ben! Ben!_

He was plummeting through the cloud layers down into the abyss.

Luke was still screaming when he finally awoke, his hands desperately clawing for an imaginary hold. Suddenly his fingers found a cool metal object and he gripped it impulsively only to find that its owner somewhat unamused.

"You are awake," rumbled the deep baritone voice of Darth Vader as he pried Luke's suction like grip from his arm.

"Ah…yeah," muttered Luke in reply as he consciously forced his hands to release Darth Vader. The feeling of extreme embarrassment coloured his cheeks.

"Good, I shall have a droid bring you breakfast," stated Vader as he drew away from where Luke lay.

"That will not be necessary," said Luke icily. "I'm sure whatever you bring me will not be fit for human consumption."

"Your attitude is unacceptable."

Suddenly a dark thunder storm of anger appeared in the force bond that they shared and Luke's mind was bombarded by the waves of ire that Vader was projecting.

"I strongly suggest you change it before it causes you some permanent damage. I have been patient with you thus far but you are testing the boundaries of my endurance."

Luke did not know what overcame him at that precise moment. Perhaps it was the childish glee he inevitably felt when he succeeded in provoking the normally stoic Sith Lord, or perhaps it was simply that he had always wanted to say such a thing to Darth Vader.

"Of course, _your lordship_, I am your most humble servant. Let me kiss your feet, _your worship_,"

For a split second Luke felt sure that he was being choked by the force but then there was only a threatening silence punctured at regular intervals by Vader's harsh breathing. Vader stood so still for such a long time that Luke was suddenly struck by the idea that he may have been shocked into hibernation. However this was not to be the case.

With one fluid motion, the Dark Lord of the Sith turned on his heel and marched away.

"I see that you are still too immature to participate in what I had planned today…I shall have to test the two child captives myself…"

The last phrase was said with such casualness that Luke almost sensed the trapped before it was even laid. However there was no other choice but to step right into Vader's little scheme for Luke could not possibly allow two children to face Darth Vader alone.

_I am a Jedi, and it is my duty to protect the weak…_

"No, I am coming with you," said Luke in his best Jedi Master voice, which was sadly lacking the control and elegance of Master Yoda.

"Oh, really…"

If Luke had thought it was impossible for Vader's sound box to convey an emotion other than anger he would have been sorely mistaken. Sarcasm was evidently the other emotion that the voco-amplifier could project and the Dark Lord of the Sith seemed to have a bountiful supply of sarcasm.

"Yes, I am,"

"Then perhaps I can expect a more civilized approach from you, my son," rumbled Vader as he turned around to face Luke with a satisfied air.

Biting back a particularly childish retort, Luke tried his best to display the 'impassive Jedi' expression.

"I believe it would be beneficial for a mutual display of civility,"

_There now that sounded most impressive. Even Leia will have a hard time matching that…_

A flicker of dark amusement sparked through their bond and Luke realized that Vader had heard his private thoughts. Immediately all diplomatic composure was blow away by fear and anger.

"_Stay out of my head!_" cried Luke desperately trying to erect a mental barrier.

"I see Obi Wan Kenobi has not taught you well, your temperament will not permit you to follow the path of a Jedi. Forcing yourself into a role that ill suits you will only lead to great suffering…"

"I don't want to hear any of your twisted philosophy," snapped Luke as he clambered out of the other side of the bed, all thoughts of maintaining a passive stance swept away by his fury and frustration.

"My philosophy is not twisted; it is merely your distorted point of view that prevents you from seeing reason. No doubt Obi Wan has told you that I was once a Jedi -,"

"Yes he did," said Luke viciously, the old hate and bitterness boiling within him again at the mention of Obi Wan, "he told me you turned to the Dark Side and _murdered_ my father!"

To Luke's bewilderment a sense of righteous indignation swelled from Vader's side of the force bond, as if he had personally slandered a good man.

"Luke, _I am your father_. I believed that you would eventually come to accept the truth but now it seems that you have deluded yourself into believing a fabricated story." Here Vader paused in contemplation, "However this discussion is going nowhere. I am going to training rooms; you may come if you want to…"

Darth Vader stalked into the communications suite, his long black cloak billowing out behind him like a living creature. Luke was left standing by the bed dressed, he suddenly realized, in a different set of underpants to the day before, which was a highly disturbing development in its own right considering he had not been woken during the night. They seemed to be made from blue plastic though they felt more like organic material. Either way the underpants appeared to be waterproof, not that Luke had wanted to pursue _that_ line of thought in the first place.

_Uh…I'm back right where I started. I must go with him, I must try to free those children…but I need to get some clothes on first._

Desperately Luke looked around the room to try and find any places where clothing might be kept. There were none. The quarters were as sterile as he had first seen them.

_Well maybe I can call for a droid…Nope, no button anywhere…darn this blasted Imperial accommodation!_

There was only one other option left…

Never in his very worst nightmares had Luke dreamt that he would one day be standing in front of an Imperial Communications Suite wearing nothing but a pair of waterproof underpants that weren't even his, planning how to ask the Dark Lord of the Sith for a rebel style jumpsuit.

_I'll be finding out Anakin Skywalker's still alive next,_ thought Luke as he rolled his eyes in dismay. _Surely there was an alternative…like wandering around the Star Destroyer 90 naked. Perhaps it would be fun though, I bet no living person can boast that they've toured the Executor in nothing but plastic undies…okay maybe I'd better keep that to myself!_

_Alright better get it over with…perhaps I should knock…_

However curiosity got the better of Luke and he pressed his ear against the metal doors hoping to hear something of the conversation going on behind them. Vader had severed their mental connection and Luke felt quite safe to pursue some more intelligence gathering activities. At first he could not hear anything but as he pressed his upper body against the door, he could just make out some distinguishable noises occurring at regular intervals. Eagerly Luke leaned in further until the door was supporting his whole body weight.

_Just a bit further…_

Suddenly the door parted with hiss, the support for his weight vanished and Luke tumbled forwards into the room head first with a surprised cry.

"Eavesdropping again…" Darth Vader sounded far too self-satisfied for it to have been unintentional.

Hastily Luke pulled himself up only to end up face to face with Darth Vader's control panel. He liked to think that it was the blinking red light reflecting on his face that made his reflecting in the breast plate look so embarrassed but he could not fool himself.

"Well, Darth Vader, it does seem that the Empire truly is inconsiderate. The rebellion would never let its prisoners wonder around with no clothes -,"

"The rebels do not _take_ prisoners," rumbled Vader as he pointed a disapproving finger at Luke.

"That's an Imperial lie," snapped Luke, completely forgetting to whom he was talking to.

"Well, then how many prisoners have you seen, my son?" demanded Vader as he stepped threateningly towards Luke.

"I'm a pilot, not a guard. I stick to my duties but I _know_ that the rebellion treats its prisoners with _respect_!"

"Your argument does not hold water," said Vader plainly, as though it put an end to their heated conversation.

"Alright then, perhaps you will show me how wonderful the Empire really is and provide me with some appropriate attire," snarled Luke.

"It's amazing the Rebellions still exists, considering its best pilot is incapable of seeing what is right in front of him."

With this Vader gestured to the bed, where neatly folded black clothing lay innocently on the bed spread.

_The force must hate me!_ Thought Luke in exasperation for he knew instinctively that he had seen the offending items and yet his brain had not bothered to register their significance. For once in the torturous time he had spent in Imperial captivity, Luke found that he had ran out of excuses.

"Get dressed, a droid will deliver breakfast, you will then accompany me to the training rooms."

Vader turned to leave his quarters and suddenly Luke felt a twinge of unexplainable fear shoot through him.

"Where are you going?" he demanded almost instantaneously.

Through the force, Luke felt Vader raise his none existent eyebrows in surprise.

"Where I go is of no concern to you, young one," rumbled Vader, "However," he continued in a 'softer' tone that almost made Luke gag with embarrassment, "I shall return soon enough."

Darth Vader swept out of the suite before Luke could hammer together a suitable comeback.

_How dare he treat me like a child! I am a rebel pilot, a very dangerous rebel pilot and nearly a Jedi Knight! Yet he talks to me as if I was ten years old or something! _

_I thought I managed to get away from patronizing elders when I left Tatooine, only to find the Dark Lord of the Damn Sith treats me exactly like my uncle did!_

_Oh and another thing…do all Imperials wear waterproof underwear?_

* * *

AN: **Please review…and Luke will get his highly disturbing question answered.**


	12. Flight

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 11. Flight

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Boba Fett, Tremayne.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: VFSNAKE **for your continued encouragement that has kept this story alive and kicking.

* * *

**AN:** This is the chapter I placed on my website a while ago. I have been writing over the Christmas Holidays but the next chapter has yet to be betaed. 

I hope to get the next chapter on my site in two weeks.

* * *

"We'll never get of this one alive!" hissed Wes' voice from the darkness that engulfed the three escaped rebels.

"Patience, my good friend, patience, I think there should be another ventilation shaft sometime soon."

"You think!" snarled Leia as she brushed several wild strands of hair from her face. Though they did not obscure her vision for there was nothing to see, they excelled in providing an irritable itch.

_When was the last time I washed my hair? _

She had long since lost track of time in this pitch black tunnel. Only the cold sensation of steel beneath her palms and their continued bickering kept her insanity in check.

"How long have we been in this tunnel?" asked Wes from somewhere behind her.

"I don't know exactly, your worship, but considering we all slept in that junction place, it could be morning by now," said Dash.

The trio had clambered for seemingly endless hours through the maze of ventilation shafts that crisscrossed the Star Destroyer but Leia knew that they had not managed to escape from the detention level. However, one by one, they dropped from sheer exhaustion and Dash suggested the sleep in a wide circular junction where several major shafts met.

For how long they were unconscious, Leia did not know. Night and day did not have any affect in this dark environment. Light only penetrated into the shafts where they cross vents in the ceiling of rooms, which always caused her heart to thump with fear as they clambered as quietly as possible over the wire meshing. Many rooms they passed but never did she dare to look down for fear that someone below might notice her presence.

Lost in her thoughts, Leia was unable to prevent herself from banging straight into the rear end of Dash Rendar who had inexplicably come to a standstill.

"Listen," he whispered, undeterred by their collision. Behind her Leia heard the ragged breathing of Wes Janson as he too tensed with fright.

A low rumbling, so quiet that Leia thought at first it was but her imagination, penetrated through the thick walls of the ventilation shafts.

"What is it?" muttered Wes over her shoulder and suddenly the noise wilted away.

"That, my friends, is the roar of a TIE fighter taking off," declared Dash in such a smug voice that Leia had to consciously restrain herself from retorting.

"How long will it take to get there?" demanded Leia sharply.

"Soon, your worship."

It did not take Jedi perceptions to know that Dash Rendar was grinning like Toydarian with too much money.

So they hastily clambered onwards, towards light and freedom but somewhere in the dark bowels of the Executor was _Luke Skywalker_.

"I can't leave him!" the words were so suddenly that somewhere behind her, Leia heard Wes curse in fright.

"Pardon?" the incredulous tone of Dash Rendar cut through the thick blanket of darkness that separated them. "Are you suggesting that we go back? And find him? Because if you are, lady, you are the craziest rich girl I have ever met, and I've met a lot of 'um!"

"Leia," said the calm reasoned voice of Wes Janson from the darkness, "We've been through this already…we can't help Luke while he is being held captive by the Empire on this ship and in the presence of Darth Vader. Our only hope is to get back to the Rebellion in one piece -,"

"And then what?" cried Leia far more loudly than she intended, "wait for the Alliance to launch a rescue attempt! How long will that take? Weeks? Months? Years?"

"Leia, you are not being rational," protested Wes as his fingers found her arm, "You know we have no other choice. Think, what would Luke do in our situation?"

"Or even better think of what your heroic buddy _would_ _want _you to do in our situation?" hissed the voice of the Dash, which was far closer to her than Leia had previously imagined.

"Yes, Leia, Luke would want us to escape and inform the Alliance. Be rational! If we go back and try to save Luke, we'll be caught again and interrogated…no one has yet been able to stand up to the Empire new truth drug, Leia. Think about it, you know all the Alliance secrets, if you don't escape now what information could the Empire extract from you?"

For several moments there was nothing but the still stale silence of the dark shafts. When Leia finally spoke her voice was devoid of the fiery passion that her spirit projected.

"I see…"

All of sudden it felt, to Wes, as if the darkness had somehow managed to grow even stronger than before.

"Glad you understood; we'd better get moving."

* * *

As Vader entered the Surveillance Centre waves of excitation rolled through the force, projected no doubt, by the personnel. 

"Lord Vader, the rebels have escaped," said the leading officer almost joyfully.

"Very good, the microscopic transmitters are secure?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement for every member of the crew knew that failure was not an option.

Beside the Dark Lord the officers stood to attention in the unnatural pose of all Imperial personnel. Only the leading officer seemed to have the inner confidence to relax in his presence.

If "gentle" was allowed to describe Imperial Naval Officers than the leading officer would be the first to receive such an honour. His eyes were large round orbs that glowed almost kindly and though his face was serious his expression seemed to hold the slightest hint of a smile at all times. However, what was most striking about him to Vader was not his amiable personality but rather his actual appearance: shoulder length brown hair, wavy and thick, piercing blue eyes and tall stature.

He looked almost like…Anakin Skywalker.

"My Lord," the second officer approached, a pinched and scrawny man, who looked even more pinched and scrawny beside his colleague, "They are moving through the ventilation shafts towards hangar bay Alpha-345-E-ST. A _suitable_ transport has been arranged."

"See that it is not too lightly guarded, they may become suspicious," rumbled Darth Vader as he strolled to stand beside the large screens. "Show me their progress"

Suddenly three blank screens flared to life. The two smaller ones displaying the location of the rebels while the third displayed something more disturbing…

An amazingly clear image of a man's backside came into prominent view. It jolted to and fro with the movement of the camera but never the less remained center stage. An empty leather holster was hanging off his hip and the material of the trousers would once in a while snag on the holster and be pulled taunt across the fore mentioned area.

No one batted an eyelid.

"_I think the rumbling is becoming clearer,"_ the hopeful voice of the rebel pilot was transmitted perfectly over the comm.

"_Yeah, well we're nearly there,"_ said the jaunting voice of the smuggler, Dash Rendar.

"All is going to plan," said Vader with a small hint of satisfaction in his voice, "Keep me updated on the situation, Lieutenant Commander."

With that the Dark Lord of the Sith strolled from the room feeling, for the first time in weeks, highly optimistic.

* * *

"There it is," whisper Dash Rendar as a blinding light hit Leia's eyes. Instinctively she braced herself to see a giant opening leading to the hangar and a hundred blinding white TIE fighters in formation. However as her eyes eventually adjusted to the light, Leia realized that it light was only a dim streak shining through a small grid around the corner. 

The shock of the light has driven the heavy burden from her mind for several second but them it returned full force like a weight designed so crush her.

_I'm so sorry Luke…_

"Are there -," Wes paused mid-whisper.

"No, we're coming up underneath the hangar bay and there are no Stormtrooper guarding this opening,"

"How do you know?" asked Wes incredulously.

"Because we're coming up right underneath a TIE fighter, why else do you think the light is so dim? If you don't believe see for yourself."

Even as they rounded the corner Leia could see the off white underbelly of an Imperial TIE, complete with scorch marks from a recent skirmish.

Partially shielded from the full force of the light by Dash's body, Leia peered out from behind him towards the small square of wire mesh. The dull, off white colour of an Imperial TIE fighter loomed ahead. Random streaks of whiter paint marred the surface where laser shots had once scarred the metal.

Suddenly all the light was blocked out by Dash Rendar's bulky physique as he soundlessly heaved the wire mesh covering from its original position. The square covering was badly made and far too small to fit tightly into its niche, hence the panel came away with little resistance and Dash casually places it to one side.

Cautiously the smuggler hoisted his torso up through the opening, like a rabbit peering out of its burrow. Behind him Leia could see his short stout legs twisting in the dim light as he surveyed their surroundings. It was only then that she noticed how filthy their clothes had become.

Her senatorial gown was now a disgraceful shade of dark grey with black blotches running down the length of her shins. Wes' orange flight suit now looked as if it had been a breeding ground for various species of black and grey mould.

_I guess the Imperials don't clean out their ventilation system all that often_, thought Leia cynically.

"Alright, the coast is clear. There's only a few squads of stormtroopers here and they're mostly on the other side of the hangar." Whispered Dash as he retreated back into the cramped shaft.

"So, which transport do we take?" asked Wes a little too casually.

"There's a nicely unguarded standard imp shuttle 50 meters away, you can make that can't you, fly boy?"

"Stop being so childish," snapped Leia unable to control her temper at Dash's jeering. "This shuttle will need ignition codes and I suppose you know them?" she demanded sceptically.

"Sure, your worship," muttered Dash derisively, "I was a cadet once and I know the format of their codes," he paused for effect before saying in a somewhat less confident way, "There'll be a certain degree of variation though…"

"_Variation!"_ hissed Leia but Wes placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Listen this is probably the best chance we've got, I'm guessing most of the vehicles here are TIE fighters," he looked to Dash for confirmation and found it, "we can't use them. The other transports are probably in a different Hangar, the imps are more organised than we think, so I say we take this gamble."

Out numbered but out matched Leia decided to concede for the time being. Perhaps, unconsciously she did want to escape at all because that would mean she really was _abandoning_ Luke.

"That shuttle won't open on its own," said Dash grimly, "but I reckon my little baby here will do the trick." From one of his numerous pockets Dash extracted a small remote control device, very much like the one used by Han on the Falcon. "Made it when I was at the academy, it'll open any Imperial shuttle 'cos there're all standardised."

"Are you sure?" asked Wes sceptically. The remote looked a little too polished and well designed to be something a naval cadet cobbled together from spare parts.

"Wes, never judge a trader by his clothes. Anyway the plan is we all get to the shuttle as fast as possible without being seen. I reckon you'll be alright Wes, but the princess…"

"I will be _fine_!"

"Okay, you worship! I'll go first and you can follow, Wes will bring up the rear."

Agilely Dash eased the wire mesh away and climbed through the opening as smoothly as if he did these things for leisure. But then again, he probably did.

A comforting hand clamped on Leia's shoulder and she squeezed it back.

_I'm going to be fine…but Luke…_

Shoving the thoughts violently out of her mind she gripped the sharp edges of the vent and hoisted her slight frame upwards until she managed to sit on the dusty floor of the hangar.

_I'm **filthy!**_

Her dress had turned to the colour of coal dust, pure black power caked every part of her attire.

Up came Wes looking like a frightened rabbit immerging from it burrow, but he had never been into the belly of the beast.

Dash was already advancing towards his intended target like a clone trooper preparing for engagement. Perhaps it had been his military training that made him look so professional despite his smuggler's attire.

In the distance Leia could hear the clatter of stormtrooper's boots on the metal floor as the squadron patrolled the hangar bay. Stealthily she snuck behind the nearest TIE and proceeded forwards with her back plastered to the white hull of the ship. However her white gown now turned completely black had not been made for such excursions and it fluttered around her leaving a smeared trail of black soot on the paint work.

However Dash was oblivious to all this as he surged forwards with measured steps and then stooped down behind the next TIE fighter. Cautiously he looked backwards and beckoned for Leia to follow. The coast was clear, the stormtroopers were all congregated in the opposite end of the hangar.

Wes was right behind her as she rushed forwards in hurried light steps hoping the pattering of her shoes was to faint to be heard. Together they crouched down next to Dash, breathing harshly with fear.

"Right," whispered Dash softly as he pointed towards a white shuttle just visible around the hull of the ship, "that's our ticket out of here and the Imps are about seven hundred meters away, so if we can survive the laser barrage we're safe. There's enough cover to make it there in one go."

"How do you know that we won't just be blown to bit?" hissed Wes angrily at the flippant tone of Dash's voice.

"Because they're letting us escape..." With that he dashed off towards the shuttled without caring about his cover.

There was no time for thought as the cacophony of angry shouts and laser fire rose through the hangar. Red streaks of light shot towards the shuttle but only exploding on the starboard side with nothing more than a fizzled sparks.

_They are not shooting at us,_ thought Leia. Suddenly blood flooded back into her hands that she didn't even notice were clenched.

With a swift motion she lifted up the sides of her dress and sprinted forwards towards the shuttled. Close behind she could hear Wes' desperate curses as he gallivanted after her.

Before her eyes the shuttle loomed like a giant insect, its three wings folded upwards in a resting position. However above the chaos of the battle she could here the gears coming to lift and slowly the wings began to unfold with the hissing noise of pistons accompanying it.

Suddenly three bolt of red flashed across her eyes and to her left the explosion of energy against the metal hull of a TIE fighter. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest but instinctively she knew there had been no danger. The shots did not come close to touching either of them.

The landing ramp was coming down and on the other side Leia saw the squadron of stormtroopers in battle formation shooting a barrage of blasts at Dash who was running up the ramp.

_He's not going to be shot, their aim is too bad_…

Abruptly her gaze was drawn to a clone at the end of the advancing line. A sharp spike of fear shot through her.

"Dash! Watch out!"

It was too late, before her eyes the red bolt erupted from the barrel of the weapon and streaked toward Dash's leg and exploded in a shower of light as it struck its target. There was a cry of agony and a panicked scream but Dash flung himself forwards into the shuttle just as the ramp touched the ground.

It was only then that Leia realised she was much closer than she had been. The ramp was only a few meters away and growing nearer by the second. Her feet seemed to have detached from her body and were carrying her forwards without any instruction. Red flashes flew past her but did not come close to striking her. The stormtroopers were still advancing, she could almost see the pattern on their shoulder pads.

"Take up the ramp!"

It was not her voice shouting but somehow it felt as if she had commanded it. The board beneath her feet shuddered and lifted but she did not loose her balance. With one mighty leap she landed inside the shuttle. The surgically bright lights from within illuminated every inch of the ramp and the stormtroopers beneath them.

A second later Wes appeared by her side and the shuttle began to rise. The main engines had not been fired but the craft was advancing towards the exit. Below the desperate shouts of the stormtroopers and the bangs of blaster bolts could still be heard above the whirling of the shuttle's drive but the ramp shut with a shudder and the noise disappeared.

The shuttle of turning, banking to the left, probably manoeuvring around the other crafts. The floor beneath Leia's black shoes trembled as the shuttle picked up speed.

_How will we get out of the hangar?_

Suddenly as if she had finally regained the use of her own body, Leia ordered herself forwards towards the cockpit at the end of the passage.

Just as she approached the view from the view port swerved with the shuttle and Leia was thrown into the door frame in her hast to gain access. Before them now lay a translucent blue force field, filling most of the wall.

_That must be the exit but…_

As if Dash had somehow heard her mental question, he grabbed the steering stick and jammed his thumb down on the red button on its apex.

Two thick bolts of red burst forth from beneath them and exploded on the sides of the wall sending a huge shower of sparks out onto the grey metal floor. The shield disappeared and for the first time in many days, Leia found herself staring into the vast darkness of space.

With a mighty roar the engines ignited and the shuttle lurched forwards sending Leia sprawling back into the passage way.

The grey of the hangar disappeared in a millisecond and only the vast freedom of deep space filled the view port. The stars twinkled in the distance like tiny diamonds on an evening dress. The shuttle speed forwards into the abyss, to freedom and the rebellion.

* * *

"My Lord," stuttered one nervous officer as he approached Darth Vader's looming form in the corridor. 

The Dark Lord of the Sith did not bother to stop as the officer hurried to catch up with him. He already knew what the news would be.

"The rebels have been allowed to escape, we are tracking their position…"

"Very well, Lieutenant,"

The officer took the cue as being dismissed and quickly scurried away in the opposite direction as fast as dignity allowed.

Everything was working out well and Vader felt a deep satisfaction in the turn of events. There was much he could do now with the Rebel firmly under wraps. It would not be long before the anarchist organisation was wiped out for good and then…then he would truly fulfill his destiny.

* * *

Luke slumped back on the bed like a woeful teenage deprived of his holovid. Being an Imperial prisoner had not been as terrifying as he had thought. No torture bots were being deployed against him but he was in far more danger than Leia. 

For the umpteenth time he found himself fervently wishing that Ben would connect him again from the force. Left without guidance, Luke felt like the same naïve and defenseless farm boy of many years ago. In truth despite the horrors of war, the challenge of the rebellion and the stress of being hunted, he had not matured. There was still the burning righteousness in him that would be rekindled every time he thought about Anakin Skywalker. Thus his thoughts strayed to the familiar topic once more and a sense of warmth filled his soul, as if his father truly was watching him from the Force.

However, the fact that Anakin had never contacted him the way that Ben often did put a dampener on his joy. Perhaps appearing as an apparition was a specific skill his father never mastered but Ben had made his ability sound as if it was an entirely natural process.

"_In times of dire need, I shall be with you, Luke."_

Rubbing his forehead in an attempt to sort out his jumbled thoughts, Luke found himself feeling profoundly disappointed.

_Why had my father not been with me all these years. If Ben could visit me as an apparition, could my father not do the same? He is the chosen one of the Jedi Order…no skill could be beyond his grasp._

Suddenly there was a beeping noise so faint, that if not for a tingle in the force, Luke would have thought he imagined it.

A much louder hissing preceded it and the door to the chamber slid open with Imperial efficiency. However the figure who scurried through the door did not look quite as dignified.

It was Captain Jirr, looking as though he was about to be executed.

"What are you –,"

The Captain waved a hand to signal Luke to stay silent and hurried over to him, quite unlike the same upright officer he had seen just yesterday.

The force shifted with anticipation but gave no other clues to Luke's predicament.

"We only have three minutes before the cameras come back on -," began Jirr as he swiped his brow with his sleeve.

"What are you up to!" demanded Luke moving away suspiciously.

"Look, the navy's a hard place to be and I don't pretend I'm on some moral high ground..."

Luke gaped back at the officer in astonishment.

"I'm not above taking bribes, even if it is from rebel scum,"

Perhaps in a different situation Luke would have given the man a piece of his mind but right now a gigantic surge of hope and amazement inflated his soul.

_They've come to save me_! But an equally terrible sense of fear engulfed his mind. _How can they possible pull this off! Vader will find out for sure!_

"I've come tell you that Ameesa Darys needs to meet you in the 34 deck library today-," Luke's jaw dropped like a dead weight. The _Inquisitor_ could not be a rebel agent!

"I don't believe you," snapped Luke as he hoisted his jaw up from it undignified position.

"You've got no choice!" growled the officer and fear flared out from his aura in the force. "Listen, Ameesa Darys says to tell you that she is affiliated with the rebellion through a "mutual friend" and this run is her first. But she's not doing it for nothing. If she gets you safely out of here your rebel friends will have to give her some information or other…"

Luke simply stared back at the fear twisted expression in front of him.

_Could it be possible…a rebel agent on the Executor? But she isn't really a rebel…just some one willing to cash in on this…but that makes it more credible…_

"Will you do it?" demanded the officer with a note his hysterics in his voice.

_The conversation I overheard…it must have been about this deal! I must take this chance it could be the only one I've got!_

"Alright," replied Luke resolutely and suddenly he felt the force about him calm down from its turbulent state. He had made the decision and now he had a direction to travel in.

Jirr jumped up from the bed as if he had been electrocuted and said,

"You'll have to find away to get there on your own, 'cos I'm not doing anymore."

With that he dashed out and the doors shut behind him.

_Great, now all I have to do is shake off a Sith Lord, nice going Swamp-wader you really got yourself in deep this time!_

The force simply danced around him in jolly little spirals as though enjoying a particularly humourous show.

* * *

**AN: Story's really taking off now so Please Review and Swampwader will be back in the next instalment. **


	13. Rescue

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 12. Rescue

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: SherazadeVader** for your wonderfully constructive reviews and **Carrie** who wants to know why Luke was wearing waterproof underwear. Well when on duty Imperial Officers can't abandon their posts for the refresher so after an eight hour shift they might be a bit...leaky. Of course Vader never intended for it to be personal that Luke got his own pair of wellipants.

**Review Thanks: **Whitedino, Carrie, Earthworm, Darth Chunky, SherazadeVader, Carrie2sky, DarthGladiator45, Marriella, BabaBiP.

**AN:** Long chapter, hope it will make up for the whole three months wait while I clawed my way tooth and nail through my A-levels. **Next chapter on my star wars website** www.disenchanted. Or just go to my homepage and find The Illusionist it will redirect you.

* * *

The smoky light of the sun was fading again and the Millenium Falcon stood battered and charred in the dim glow like an abandoned wreck.

"She's nearly set, Chewie." Answered Lando grimly as he wiped his greasy covered hands with a rag.

Chewie growled sadly and Lando frowned.

"I know, Chewie but we have to get back to Rebellion to report this…yeah I know Kay is still missing but he's probably on board that Star Destroyer and there's nothing we can do to save him."

Chewie did not reply to this and simply heaped a few more pieces of twisted metal into the crate.

"Look, the boy's just being hopeful. I really doubt Darth Vader would authorize a shuttle to take Kay back to the planet. He'd just lock the guy up with Leia, Wes and Luke."

This provoked Chewie to roar with dismay and Lando turned aside.

"I know, I know…but what can we possibly do for the boy. He's got a family to support now and we've given him all our credits."

For several minutes there was nothing but the clanking of metal and the hiss of the breeze through the straw like plants.

"Look we'll give him some more credits when he comes back again," muttered Lando, "It's not _our_ fault the guy got roped into helping a bunch of freaky teens…"

Still there was no reply and for once Lando started to despise his situation: stuck in the middle of a wealth forsaken rock waiting for friends who might never come back again. Futility was not something he had experience for a long time. Everything had been under control at Cloud City, under _his_ control, which was by far the best situation. He wished for the first time in months that he could still live that happy go luck life, gambling, drinking and frequenting with women. Making a little money on the side and strutting around his establishment with a posture of pride and an expensive cloak.

_But somewhere Han was thinking the same thoughts…except he was stuck in carbonite._

Suddenly in the distance a stout figure in flapping robes appeared over the hillock. For several panicked stricken moments, Lando thought they had been discovered but Chewie roared in welcome and it was then that he realised the figure was none other than Arikki.

"What's that lad doing running like a ravenous rancor? And why hasn't he got the husans?" asked Lando suspiciously.

"**He's got bad news, that's why,**" rumbled Chewie as he slapped, the lid on the contain

Arikki dashed towards them and only slowed down a few steps short of Lando's stunned form.

"What's wrong with you?" demanded the dealer staring at he mud brown liquid dripping out of the youth's ears.

"It's my father!" rumbled Arikki through desperate pants and reached and wipe off the liquid trickling down his neck and into the hood of his poncho.

Chewie roared in distress and grabbed the boy around the shoulders.

"What happened to him?"

"He's being executed, here at midnight! Public execution! You've got to help me!" the boy wailed, a high pitched sound which Lando could not believe his vocal cords would produce.

Chewie pulled the boy into a bear hug and released him when he sufficiently calm.

"Alright, boy take your time, the sun's just setting…the rest of your family, alright?" asked Lando as genteelly as possible but his more rational personality was screaming at him to refuse all help.

"They bought him back from the big ship – they said he was traitor to the Empire – a rebel," the boy wailed pitifully again, "he wouldn't do that…he's not stupid!"

Chewie growled uncertainly and Lando shook his head. _No it was not time to reveal anything to this boy…that could come later – if he was still alive to hear it._

"He's the only family I have…you must help me!"

It suddenly occurred to Lando as he listened to the boy plead so eloquently, that he spoke nothing like his father. Arikki's basic was almost as correct as Luke's and he did not sound like that in the short conversations they had had during the hours spent fixing the falcon

"Why the posh words, kid?" asked Lando casually.

A look of horror crossed Arikki's face and Chewie growled warningly but Lando persisted.

"You sound like you could fit right into a nice Imperial academy."

Suddenly a terrible screaming erupted and the youth fell to the floor and pounded his head with his fists. Chewie jumped forwards to intervene with little success.

"I confess – I confess! I work for a Major on the base. He just lost his personal slave several months ago and he hired me – but I had to learn to speak proper basic. You don't understand, he paid me fifty credits a day!"

"What did you do for him?" snarled Lando

"Just file his papers, clean his shoes, open the door for him…that kind of thing,"

The boy was calmer now and Chewie dragged him back to his feet.

Lando scrutinized him for a moment longer and decided to gamble.

"Alright, kid, tell us everything you know; I've got a plan…"

* * *

Darth Vader entered his personal quarter in a much lighter mood than he had left in. Just by the door to the inner chamber stood Captain Jirr holding a datapad of the day's appointments. The stale sense of overstretched emotions penetrated the force and Vader concluded the Luke had finally sensed his arrival.

_Good, the boy was growing strong…he would be tested today._

"Very good, Captain," rumbled Vader as he handed back the datapad to the still rigid officer.

"Will that be all, my lord?" he inquired politely.

"I shall be busy today, have the minor tasks seen to,"

An unusual request but Jirr merely bowed graciously and took his leave. However Darth Vader found himself gazing after the parting figure…

An abrupt jerk in the force signalled the fact that one young Skywalker was getting extremely impatient. Luke's anxiety had reached an all time high but as the sliding doors opened to review the inner chamber, Vader saw that the youth was making a considerable effort to look as calm as possible. However it was nearly impossible for Luke to disguise his true emotions through their powerful bond.

"You managed to keep yourself alive in my absence, good," rumbled the Dark Lord as he stepped forward. Luke merely scowled in response. "Did you have breakfast?"

"No, the droid you promised didn't turn up." There was a definitely hint of accusation in his tone. A rapidly gathering cloud of annoyance in Vader's mind signalled that an officer's career was about to come to a traumatic end.

"I specifically ordered a droid from the kitchens," snarled Vader. "I will be having some words with the chief officers."

"I'm not really hungry," said Luke suddenly as though he had just come to a momentous realisation. "Don't waste food on me. If I get peckish during the day I'll show myself to the kitchens."

Vader raised his eyebrows in an expression of sarcastic scepticism but all was lost on Luke who did not have the insight to look through the frightening mask.

"Oh, and you suppose that I would simply let you wander around my ship?" demanded Vader derisively.

The youth seemed annoyingly unabashed,

"I figured it would be easier than dragging me with you to every convention you attend."

"What makes you think that I won't leave you here under guard?"

"Oh, just a little feeling that you don't want me to escape…" replied Luke, a little too lightly.

A deep itching annoyance bubbled away behind the dark mask as Vader contemplated the pathetic threat.

_Whilst Luke certainly had the will to escape he could not, even with his disgustingly high levels of foolish optimism, hope to escape from the Executor. However given the boy's hapless record he could create a momentous mess without even trying. The monitoring device attached to Luke's clothing would provide ample surveillance to keep his movements under control so what was the harm in giving him a vestige of freedom? Because, he the Dark Lord of the Sith, had no intention of dragging Luke Skywalker around all day._

"You assume too much of yourself, young one," rumbled Vader gravely. "You have much left to learn. Meanwhile we have an appointment to keep…"

With that Vader marched through the doors leaving Luke tailing his flapping cloak.

* * *

The training room was not quite as grand as Luke had imagined. Lines of weaponry, lightsabres and duelling droids had been his assumption but stepping into the cool vast chamber Luke was reminded of a newly built warehouse yet to be filled with…anything.

The floor tiles, like their counterparts in the main ship, were polished to perfection, whilst the high vaulted ceiling glinted in the light of the hundred bulbs suspended from the metal rafters. The place was completely sterile, as though no one had yet been allowed to walk through the giant doubled doors behind him.

Taking in the whole scene with a sweep of his head giant head, Vader seemed satisfied but Luke found the lack of seating arrangements highly irritating. Stamping his feet unnecessarily on the metal floor, Luke listened to the solid thump that it generated but the noise did not echo as though the room itself gobbled up the sound like a gigantic sarlacc.

Their counterparts had yet to arrive and as Luke shifted uncomfortably under the glare of the too bright lights, he found him obnoxiously wondering whether Vader might just execute whoever was supposed to bring the child captives.

Whether Vader sensed this thought, Luke did not know, but he gave up all pretence of being interested in the form of the opposite wall.

"Are they even coming," he muttered though it sounded more like a whine to his ears.

"Patience, young one, they are already here…"

Luke jerked his head up in surprise. The whole vast space was devoid of anything apart from their faint shadows against the cool tiles. There were no places to hide even amongst the sparse rafters.

"Use the force…focus…sense their presence," commanded Vader but Luke simply stared back at him with incomprehension.

"Sight can be deceptive, only the force can show you the truth," said Vader by way of clarification. This time Luke looked slightly more objectionable.

"If you think for one moment that you can tempt me into -,"

"This exercise has nothing to do with the Dark Side," snapped Vader letting the tentative grip on his anger slip, "did Obi-Wan not instruct you on this?"

Luke swallowed his retort; it would not improve his chances of escaping if he was locked back in Vader's private chambers. He had to slip away from the Sith…somehow.

A startlingly loud thud chased away all thoughts of escape and beside him, Vader simply pivoted gracefully to face the source.

"Inquisitor Darys," rumbled Vader in acknowledgement.

* * *

"Alright, so you knew your dear old dad was a great pal of Dash Rendars," spat Lando, "what d'you do next, you little scumbag, offer to rat us out the moment we stepped foot on this bloody planet!"

Chewie growled in exasperation and dragged Lando bodily away from the cowering youth. Despite Arikki's physical prowess, Lando's anger had drained all thoughts of retribution from his mind.

"No, you don't understand," wheezed the alien, "we don't like the Imps, no one does. The Major got some report from the high and mighties up in space about how Dash Rendar would be landing on the moon. He told me to report on his movements to the base because he was smuggler and criminal. I had no idea it was part of something bigger until I was shredding the Major's mail…"

"What?" demanded Lando derisively, slapping Chewie's arms away.

"The Major, he's lazy and doesn't care about what I see so I get rid of all his mail by the deleting it on the terminal."

Chewie gave a growl of encouragement and Arikki seemed to draw strength from the comforting noise.

"It was sent three days before you landed and it was from a "Captain Jirr"…it was about the plans for the rebels. It said…it said the whole Han Solo thing was a trap for the Rebellion."

"Tell me something I don't know," snarled Lando impatiently.

Arikki hesitated slightly but continued in a much smaller voice,

"It also said the whole operation was to find the rebel base by catching Leia Organa and letting her escape…"

Suddenly silence erupted in Lando's ears as though all the noises had been swept away by the shock of the statement but the twin sensations of happiness and terror clawed at his mind.

_I have to warn them, the Rebellion will be annihilated! But Leia is a clever girl, she'll figure it out…but what if she doesn't!_

"They…didn't say anything about Luke Skywalker, though,"

The sound of Luke's name seemed to penetrate through the fear swamped mind of Lando for he looked up in alarm.

"It letter mentioned names, loads of names of people who should be allowed to escape but they didn't say anything about Luke Skywalker. The Captain wrote with great urgency that if Skywalker was to turn up he had to be captured but there was nothing about letting him go."

"No," whisper Lando darkly, "no, there wouldn't be…"

Chewie growled uncertainly at the assertion,

"**Why not, they didn't keep Leia…so why keep Luke. If they wanted to make an example would Leia not suit the purpose much better? There is more going on than our assumptions lead us to believe…"**

"Are you trying to say that Leia is right? That Vader wants to make Luke some sort of Sith?"

"**That would at least be a better explanation than what we have."**

"You don't honestly believe in all that Force hokey-pokey do you?"

"**You have never met a Jedi…but I have."**

The poor youth stood between them staring from one to the other trying to make sense of half the conversation but Lando knew the cunning rat would figure it out in the end.

"Is Luke Skywalker…a Jedi?" asked Arikki, his voice drowning in awe but one nasty look from Lando rectified the objectionable tone.

"No he isn't and it's got nothing to do with you anyway," snapped Lando tersely.

"**We should not be arguing about this right now. The boy's father needs rescuing." **

"Do you really think that little womp rat deserves our help?"

"**He has not willingly betrayed us…"**

"Perhaps…"

* * *

_Inquisitor Darys did not look like a killer. At least not a crazed killer. Her short, curled hair was rather plain for an Imperial agent and her features were of non-descript beauty. In fact she looked disappointingly…ordinary._

Luke's thoughts were interrupted as the object of his scrutiny bowed before Vader like a prostrating subject.

"My lord, you wished to see me,"

Her black cloak was trimmed with shining red lace so her every movement caught the bright lights above and flashed their brightness as her own. Beneath the cloak, a barely concealed lightsabre dangled primly from her slender hips like a lady's make up kit and tight leggings emphasised every curved in her anatomy from the waist down.

Luke found it all rather vulgar.

"Where are the captives?" demanded Vader impatiently and Luke peeled his eyes away from the strange attire.

"The children seem to have a rare medical condition, my lord," replied Darys calmly, "our paramedics are still working on them."

Beside him Luke could feel Vader's brimming anger bubbling away in the force like an explosive concoction.

"I was only informed of this several moments ago and have not been able to relay this information to your personal assistant. Forgive me –,"

Suddenly her hand flew to her throat as if a great pain had erupted there and a croak like noise spewed from her mouth. It took a moment for Luke to register her strange reaction as he had never witnessed a force choke before.

"No! Stop it!" he cried leaping forwards to grab Vader's outstretched hand. A rush of dark power lashed out at Luke, shearing his chest and knocking him bodily to the floor. The hard surface vibrated with the force of his fall but the adrenaline rush staved off the pain.

_She's my only hope!_

Bouncing up faster than Luke had thought possible; he dived forwards like a rancor lunging for its prey.

He did see it coming, the black gloved fist but it was too late to stop. Vader's left arm swung outwards but instead of the sickening crack of bone he felt a suffocating softness as though he was being smothered by a pillow.

Seconds later he was back on floor and so was Inquisitor Darys, her body heaving as though she was experiencing some sort of fit.

Suddenly the movements subsided and Luke stared wide eyed at her still figure. Above him Vader did not give any recognition that he had even seen Luke's pathetic rescue attempt.

"Forgive me, my lord," rasped Darys as she hauled herself up into a kneeling position. "I will do better,"

"See that is so," rumbled Vader menacingly and Ameesa Darys bowed her head in submission.

The silence took over and Luke felt distinctly uncomfortable sprawled on the ground waiting to see what would happen.

"I came to test Skywalker's abilities, now he does not have a sparing partner you shall fill that space,"

"Of course, my lord," muttered Darys and Luke only just realising his situation glared up at the towering figure looming over the pair of them.

"Get up, Luke," the dark side gripped the front of his shirt and hauled him up to his feet as though he was nothing but a ragged puppet.

"There was no need for that," snapped Luke icily and he was not surprised that Vader's mood darkened like the storm clouds over Yavin.

Brushing imaginary dust from his dark uniform, Luke glared back at Vader in defiance. However hate turned to surprise as Vader extracted a lightsabre from his belt.

It was Anakin Skywalker's lightsabre.

_I lost that in Cloud City…how did he recover it?_

_My father's lightsabre in _**Vader's hands**.

The shortened patience of the Sith Lord beside him hinted that it was not the best time to ask indignantly for an explanation. Besides Luke needed to regain Vader's _trust_ if he was to stand any chance of escaping from this twisted situation. He would have to fight…and hope Vader could be pacified.

In front of him Luke fancied he saw Ameesa Darys giving him a guarded look but when he focused on her expression there was nothing but neutrality and red blotches on her throat.

* * *

1800 Coruscant time was the daily rush hour when the skies were flood by the streaming lights of traffic on every level but in the Imperial City one could look down at the meaningless drivel of life tottering beneath jewelled towers that dominated the skyline.

Certainly, Prince Xizor could never be accused of being _interested_ in such insignificant creatures that scurried below like ants, oblivious to the greater workings of the galaxy. However tonight he found himself curiously distracted from his thoughts as he gazed down on the lines of light that curved through the city like great rivers joining the sea. Distraction, as his father had once said, was always dangerous.

His father was not here now to chide his son for his unsavoury behaviour so Xizor continued to take in the vibrant life that swept through the planet like a great waves crushing on the beaches in Falleen.

But Falleen was gone too, it inhabitants reduced to dust, its beaches sullied with so many toxins that even the viper fish could not survive but the waves still crashed on the sandy shores and sometimes, if Xizor listened hard enough, he could almost hear the howl of the wind and cries of gulls as he once did so long ago.

_Distraction…there it was again…_

Such unfocused attention would cost him dearly in the future but his plans were unfolding exactly as he wanted…was there no room to indulge distractions?

However Xizor's mind would not even dwell upon this small thought as it flitted anxiously towards its most recent memory…

"_Very well Prince Xizor…your information has been invaluable. Tremayne and Halmere shall be recalled,"_

"_I could never doubt you, my Emperor," he said sweeping into a low elegant bow so that the expensive jewelled robes scratched the marble floor._

"_I hope your plans are successful…I do not enjoy witnessing failure," the dark malice in the tone did not dampen his spirits, the Emperor had cooperated. _

"_By your leave, your majesty…"_

The Inquisitors would be promptly called back from duty soon and they would cooperate with Xizor just as he had planned…and not the Emperor.

_Yes,_ the galaxy was at his fingertips, he could feel the buzzing of it energy flowing through his hands like sand grains pouring through his fingers. Soon very soon it would be all his for the Emperor without his right-hand man was vulnerable to treason…

The sudden beeping of the commlink interrupted this dangerous train of thought.

It was Ameesa Darys.

"Yes?" the signal was weak and a small flickering image of an exhausted looking woman gazed up at him from hundred of light years away.

"Prince Xizor, I have sparred with Skywalker," the voice was hushed even through the exquisite amplifier,

"And?" demanded Xizor almost impatiently.

"He is far more powerful than anyone has believed,"

"And why would Darth Vader show you this land-shattering display of power?" demanded Xizor suspiciously.

"He believes he has us all under control. He trained us himself and no Inquisitor has dared to cross-,"

"Yes, I know," he interjected, "can Skywalker be trusted to make contact with you?"

The image crackled and wavered as though it did not want to be glared at by the cold orbs of Prince Xizor.

"I believe so," replied Darys, her voice wavering like the image. There was no time to ask anymore questions, his commlink was already alerting him to potential tracking signals.

"Very well," Xizor said curtly, "Report back once you are off that Star Destroyer."

The image disappeared faster than Xizor could cut the call. He gazed at the comm unit feeling irate but he needed the Inquisitors and he would never jeopardise the plan.

Outside, the humdrum of Coruscant life continued; billions of life forms meandering about their trivial lives totally oblivious to the change that was about to shake the whole galaxy.

* * *

The Millenium Falcon glided like a monstrous version of Flufubs' Frisbee through the ashen blue clouds mingled with green dust from the eroding crust. It looked the worse for wear but the structure was holding together beautifully and Lando could almost breathe a sign of relief…almost. He still had a daring rescue and escape to execute from right under the noses of ten thousand Imperials.

"We're getting close," said Arikki as he surveyed the advanced terrain radar screen that showed the distinctive square blocks of prefabricate buildings near the Imperial Base.

"Are you willing to bet your life that your father's execution is going to be a public one, because if it isn't we'll be flying right into an almighty big trap," said Lando for the third time in the last hour.

Arikki turned slightly pale.

"Oh, it doesn't matter, we're doomed anyway. I knew I was doomed the moment I joined this stupid Rebellion…should have stayed on Cloud City like a good law abiding citizen."

Chewie growled in warning as the comm link on the control panel stared to beep urgently.

The dispassionate voice of a communication officer's droned through the comm unit,

"This is Iona Base Control, please state your craft name and purpose,"

"Hello, we are the Shooting Star and wish to dock to sell some merchandise. We have a large stock of Flufubs' Frisbees, Ginger Ale Pogo Sticks and various other fashionable items from the hit Holo series Flufub."

For several seconds Lando thought the officer was not going to buy his excuse considering the Millennium Falcon still sported the burn marks of its previous battle.

"Very well, proceed through," stated the detached voice and the comm link was cut.

"We made it; perhaps it won't be so difficult after all,"

The inside of Iona Base looked more like a settlement than an Imperial Fort. Despite the towering durasteel walls that surrounded the complex the interior was open to the sky and consisted of low cuboids buildings surrounded by courtyards and landing pads. Unlike many of the more disciplined bases this one had converted the main courtyard into a temporary open air market where civilians and stormtroopers roamed at their leisure through the dilapidated stalls. Unfortunately this week there was another attraction: the public executions.

"Look, I see the platform!" cried Arikki with excitement.

In the centre of the square a large space had been roped off and several groups of stormtroopers stood guard around it, though they seemed slack and inattentive. Beside them the execution squadron stood polishing their blasters.

"This is going to be way too easy," muttered Lando suspiciously, "the square is open to the air, no shields, the stormtroopers are half a sleep and there's not enough soldiers in the who place to stop us!"

"It is an outer rim base, they're probably not used to…you know…" said Arikki as he surveyed the image on the video screen.

"Right kid, the bottom hatch takes two seconds to open. Chewie is gonna drop down on a rope and shoot the execution squad whilst I rescue your dad. _You _have to stay here and keep this ship steady. I reckon she can take some bombardment from blasters but they'll call for back up. It takes around five seconds for a TIE fighter to leave the hangar and as they're not on high alert that gives us about one minute.

"Don't panic, kid, keep a level head and we'll get through this. As I said it's a walk in the park. We'll just keep circling until the execution starts."

"But they'll think it's suspicious!"

"Why? Maybe we just wanna see this spectacle. Besides we haven't been cleared to land anywhere yet."

Suddenly the sound of a military march blared from the speakers in the cockpit.

Chewie growled in anticipation and tightened his grip on his blaster.

On the viewing screen a bird's eye view of two stormtroopers dragging a green alien between them came into view. Accompanied by the grating music they marched forwards onto the platform.

"That's your dad, right." Said Lando.

"Yeah of course it's him! How many people do you think they execute per week?"

"Right Chewie, get ready" but Chewie had already disappeared.

The music continued to blare through the commlink and Lando had an annoying feeling that it was nothing to do with the volume controls. The military band did not even bother to turn up instead the musical accompaniment was played through the ancient wind battered loud speakers erected for this purpose.

Down below the atmosphere sparked with perverse excitement.

"When are you going down?" demanded the boy as he gripped the edge of the control panel for dear life.

On the screen the green alien was being blindfolded with a foul piece of grey cloth that looked so thin that Lando was sure even the least sensitive of eyes could see through it.

"They usually read out a list of crimes don't they," he muttered as the sound of Chewie clambering in the bowels of the ship carried upwards.

Arikki kept quiet.

The music eventually stopped and so did the feverish chant of the crowd. The image on the screen was too poor to gage whether the green alien was sweating or not but he stood absolutely still on the platform as though hoping to make life easier for the people who were about to shoot.

Below his feet, Lando could feel the vibrations of the hatch being pried apart.

In the stale silence that followed the crowded on the screen shimmered like an angry hive of bees as more and more people appeared to watch the spectacle. The expectation was fulfilled soon enough as the crowded parted for the Judge.

"They are going to read out a list of crimes," said Lando calmly. Chewie would now have enough time to plan his big break.

The simple Imperial officer decked out in his casuals stood on the platform with a distinct air of boredom as he slowly turned on the datapad in his hand.

Across the commlink his nasal drawl filled the cockpit with its monotone recital.

"Kirroyr Kicomi, you are hereby convicted of impersonating an officer of the Imperial Navy, causing grievous bodily harm to personnel of the Imperial Navy, breaking and entering into security facilities…"

"When are you going to do something?" demanded Arikki.

"As soon as that _thing_ puts the guards to sleep," replied Lando smoothly but he quickly holstered an extra blaster and extracted his commlink. "Chewie, you still there?"

The roar at the other end was filled with feverish excitement.

"Okay, you're pumped up on adrenaline, just make sure you take the shooting squad out was fast as possible. We've got about ten seconds max…"

An affirmative noise crackled through the commlink.

"Kid, keep calm and don't touch anything -,"

"-but you wanted to me to keep the ship,"

"I want you to stay out of harm's way, the ship can right herself."

With that Lando rushed out of the cockpit mentally counting all the crimes that could possibly be piled on one head by the Imperial Navy.

The inner hatch was open when he got there and crouched by Chewie, Lando could almost make out the recital booming from the loud speakers. It did nothing to calm his nerves knowing that her was kneeling directly above a sheet of metal that was not even sound proof.

Silently Chewie wound a safety cord around Lando's hand and they stayed pressed against the cold steel surface waiting for the recital to end.

Suddenly the low drone of the crackling speakers halted only to be replaced by the sickening cheer of the crowds. The execution squad would be getting ready to load their weapons…

Without warning the floor fell out from under Lando's knees and he screamed in alarm before he could stop himself. There was no time for him to prepare. He tumbled gracelessly out from under the Millennium Falcon like a sack of nerf dung, his blaster flaying around in his right hand.

The ground rushed towards him, hundreds of upturned faces and open mouths that he was tempted to land on but behind him he heard the shrieking of laser fire and the angry roar of a very excited wookie.

As though his brain suddenly came into being again, Lando found himself swinging around in a split second to face the execution squad not so far below him. In the millisecond he was able to survey the damage, two men were down and the other three were desperately looking for cover. Suddenly the safety harness tightened and with a grating jerk on his left hand the scene below pulled away from him like a speeding ship.

The whole sequence had taken no more than two seconds but Lando felt as though he was living in slow motion. He was caught between the blur of screams below and the whirling noise of the ship above, suspended in mid air and helpless.

A high pitched scream pierced his brain and he jerked forwards in fright. The blaster in his hand suddenly register with his brain and his finger instinctively tightened around the trigger. The blood gushed back to his head as though a dam has burst and through the pounding in his ears he could hear his heart trying to shatter his ribcage.

Without taking a good aim he let loose a trail of blaster shots in the general direction of the Imps. The white armoured stormtroopers were scattering in disarray without even making the slightest attempt to regroup. The blood red streaks of light collided with the dirty white armour and two fell.

No time to rejoice the scene below was sufficiently clear. The prison was stilled crouched on the platform but the execution squad was a tangled mess of bodies sprawled across the stage. With one swift move, that Lando had no idea he was capable of, the safety cable slipped smoothly from his wrist and he fell.

The wooden platform swelled upwards to met him and the collision sent jarring pains through his ankle but it was dulled by the adrenaline that had taken over his system.

His eye honed in on the target of their own accord like robotic binoculars and Lando dived forwards as two streaks of laser fire missed him by inches. Crawling forwards on hands and knees, the shrieks of the panic crowd drowned out the fighting. The prisoner was trying to stay still despite his great fear. As soon as Lando was within arms length he leapt forwards and pounced bodily on Kay.

"Keep still," he cried though his own voice was drowned out by the groans and yells.

"It's you!" Kay's low rumbling voice boomed in his ears and for once it sounded almost homely.

"We're rescuing you and your boy. He's in the ship."

Behind them Lando could here the siren blaring and the thudding of reinforcements ready to break the scene. Somewhere below them in the sea of screaming people a lone voice cried desperately,

"Catch them alive!"

Suddenly Chewie's familiar battle roar pierced the air once more and from his crouched position on the platform, Lando could see a brown blur in the air where the blaster blots were originating from. Several feeble attempts to shot the swinging wookie sizzled past Lando as the brown ball of fur streaked towards them.

"Stand up," screamed Lando as he dragged at the alien's under arms.

Lando jumped up himself with blaster in hand to give them cover and succeeded in shooting two of the new stormtrooper that were taking cover near the stalls. The stampede of people hindered their aim. Most of the stalls had been flatten by the fleeing crowd and to Lando's disgust several civilian bodies were lying in the pack dirt closest to the platform.

The wookie's roar swelled with power. The noise exploded in Lando's ear as the hard furry arm slammed into neck and swept the pair of them off the platform.

As they swung through the air with Lando squeezed again Kay's dank poncho and the rock hard muscle of the wookie blaster blots followed in their wake but they were raising upwards. Lando could here the hiss of the safety cord whizzing them upwards into the bowels of the ship.

Mentally he calculated that there would be TIE fighters emerging any second. The dark opening of the hatch loomed above ready to sallow them in time.

Suddenly the shot through the opening and the dull thud of the hatch closing was the only noise that registered in his mind. They landed messily on the hatch when Chewie released the cable.

Lando scrabbled out from under the disgusting mess of filthy cloth that surrounded Kay.

"Quickly, get us out of here," he shouted to no one in particular.

The three of them raced up the ladders to the cockpit one of the other regardless of the noise they made.

Lando almost fell into the cockpit, his forehead dripping with perspiration. He pulled the terrified boy from the controls without a world and gripped the controls whilst Chewie pawed at the others.

"Hold on to something," he cried in the form of a warning before the ship shuddered to life.

The view on the screen blurred and the chaos disappeared below them disappeared as the hazy atmosphere swamped the view port. The Millenium Falcon jerked and quivered under the strain of its acceleration.

Suddenly they broke through and the clear coldness of space exploded into the viewport.

"Hit the hyperdrive -,"

Chewie did not need asking for as soon as the words were out of Lando's mouth the stars turn to lightening streaks.

They were free at last.

* * *

**AN:** So was it worth waiting for? I hope so because I went on a writing spree and did two chapters at once. The other one as I said is on my homepage.

**Please review...I've run out of reasons why...but I'll include "_Come to the dark side...we have cookies" _in the story if you don't. **


	14. Negotiation

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 13. Negotiations

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Review Thanks: ImperialJedi, earthworm, DarthGladiator45, Second-Hand Herald-Mage, Carrie2Sky, SherazadeVader, VFSNAKE, Marriella -The Bullet-,**

**AN:** Ah, I had not idea I didn't update with this chapter, it's been on my website for the last 2 months. So sorry.

I'm afraid the next chapter is still in the making. I have been very unwell recently and with exams to hinder my recovery, I'm really down in the dumps.

* * *

It was technically true to say that night never fell on the Executor but it was also metaphorically appropriate for no one ever seemed to sleep aboard the monstrosity of efficiency and terror. The surveillance crew worked around the clock as did the technicians, officers and caterers, which was highly unfortunate for Luke Skywalker. 

He was back where he started staring aimlessly at the huge viewing port that dominated Vader's private chamber. There was no view to look at unless small white pinpricks on a black background could be defined as a "view". The endless hours of complete boredom had blurred into one very long insanely dull existence that made Luke almost long for the desert days.

His body ached slightly from the duel that morning through he loathed to admit it, Ameesa Darys using the most clumsy of her lightsabre techniques had easily disarmed him. The duel had lasted precisely five minutes with Vader watching his blunders with great impatience. Thank fully Vader had decided that Luke need a good demonstration of how it was done by engaging the poor Inquisitor in a half hour duel. The speed at which the two combatants had moved had astonished Luke and he had watched wide eyed as they fought each other from the rafters, along the walls, in mid air. It was like watching the mythical duel of Kayrat dragons.

However entertaining himself by remembering the excitement of the duel could only kill so much time and now he almost wished he had convinced Vader to teach him some moves

It must be deep into the night now for Luke had begun to feel sleepy, though the timing on the Executor seemed to be dictated by Darth Vader which basically meant the clock stayed at 1500 hours.

It had been two days since he arrived on this ship…or had it been three? Luke had lost count but he was quite sure that he had only been asleep once.

_Ah, my head hurts…I wish something would happen_.

. He had been lounging on the bed for what seemed hours with nothing but a constant feeling of anxiety tugging at his gut. At first he had tried to break out even begging Vader to let him at least follow the Sith around the ship but to no avail for Vader had come to the rightful conclusion that Luke could not be trusted to say out of trouble even if he was frozen in carbonite. At least keeping him locked away in a padded cell would limit the damage. Unfortunately Luke had not managed to inflict any more damage than pulling a few cushions out of line but knowing the Imperial mentality it could cause plenty of grief.

_I need to get to Ameesa Darys but it's just impossible. How am I supposed to have a clandestine meeting on board the _Executor? _Unless…_

It was not true to say he was completely without reinforcements for there was one person who could help him…Captain Jirr.

Cautiously he turned to the commlink built into bedside table.

_"If you need something desperately you may contact one of my personal assistants and he will sort it out," _Vader had told him. However the dilemma was: how could Luke get to a specific personal assistant.

_Use the Force Luke…_

If he had not known any better Luke might have thought Ben was actually back on speaking terms with him but he had been so lonely recently his addled brain had managed to conjure up an alter ego who spewed Jedi phrases at random intervals.

_Well, I have nothing to loose…perhaps I will be able to identify the man sitting at the desk outside, I've met Jirr and so should know his force signature. _

The force gushed towards him as it always did and danced around him as though it was glad he finally opened up again. Through the force field Luke stretched out with him mind through the tangle of different layers towards the presence on the other side of the wall. The aura was dullish grey in colour with nothing remarkable about it except for the fact that he had felt it before.

_Yes, it's Jirr - he's on duty!_

The commlink connect him with a smooth chime-like tone which seemed completely out of place in Vader's chambers.

"Captain Jirr, how can I help you?" the anxious tone that Luke had remembered was replaced by the cold efficiency of a top quality Imperial officer.

"Um, yeah, I'd like…something to eat if you please, oh and don't send a droid because…I don't like serving droid they always spilling things…"

_Oh for stars sake this is sounding worse by the minute…_

"Just have someone bring the food in,"

There as a distinct pause at the other end of the line and for a moment Luke thought that Jirr was going to hang up but he recovered.

"I was instructed to serve you dinner at 1800 hours," came the infuriatingly calm reply.

It was quite obvious that Jirr did not want to get the hint about coming into Luke's room.

_Well, a bit of pressure will help him along just fine…_

"Do you really want me to tell Lord Vader that you've been mistreating me because I will and rest assured _Captain_ he will be inclined to take my word over yours? Now I can sit here and spin a lot of tales about you or you can bring me what I want and we'll call it a day."

This time the pause was even longer.

"This is highly inappropriate," replied Jirr, but without any true force behind his words.

"Oh please, just order the food and bring it in or you'll have more than me to deal with. After all I doubt your pay cheque will be particularly full this month…"

_He's got to get that hint, after all Ameesa Darys is paying him far too much for his help but I'd better not make the threat too obvious in case Vader actually goes over the surveillance videos. _

"…I doubt you'll be getting a pay cheque at all in the condition you'll end up in."

"I detest being blackmailed," protested Jirr but Luke could feel his resistance crumbling even without the force.

"Trust me, Vader didn't say you couldn't get me food if I was hungry; besides he's not even going to care as long as I don't make a scene and I promise that I won't make a scene. Now how about it Captain?"

Another pause but the force had already provided him with an answer.

"Very well, I'll bring you some food _but don't bother me again_,"

_Oh I guess there was a double meaning in that one. _

Luke lay back on the bed to plot his next move.

_It's important that I some how get out of here without putting Jirr under suspicion so it has to be urgent and not something like needing to use the refresher…something medical related…something urgent._

Inspiration was not far off in times of need for Luke had a tendency to think much faster when under pressure which was why he never made too many long term plans.

A fit would do just the trick. As child growing up on Tatooine, Briggs had been a great actor and had been kind enough to teach him how to convincingly fake a fit. Of course he wasn't good at foaming at the mouth but Luke had mastered the jerking movements very well and the trick had come in handy more than once.

However fate did not seem to agree with Luke's strokes of inspiration for Captain Jirr decided to take matters into his own hands.

The food arrived as instructed carried by the cranky looking captain. His skin stretched taunt over his cheekbones as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Your food, Mr Skywalker, as you ordered it. The catering staff wanted you to know that the meat is Siru breast and requires _the removal of the inner portion before eating_. However it is still edible if it is _to your taste_." said Jirr with a condescending tone, but the stress in his words was very apparent.

Before Luke could even open his mouth to speak the officer had slipped the tray onto the bed and rushed out of the door with graceful ease.

_He's hidden something in my food…the clever Imp. I bet it must be message cube or something like that but how could I possibly open it without being found out?_

His gaze wondered briefly to the refresher but he did not entirely believe that the Imperial Navy was above spying on people whilst they relieved themselves. However the thought was too horrifying to pursue.

_I suppose I could start with following Jirr's instructions…_

Carefully Luke pulled the tray of meat and salad towards him feeling a surprising amount of guilt for eating on the bed. Aunt Beru had been severe in drilling into him the evils of taking breakfast in bed.

The portion of meat was white and firm with a small perturbing part in the middle that was slightly yellow in colour. It came loose with little resistance and as Luke was about to pull it out with his fingers, the ball of meat rolled over in its cavity.

Printed in on the back were the words "eat me" in barely distinguishable white lettering.

_Oh well the stars be damned, Ameesa is so much cleverer than I ever gave her credit for. _

Without much hesitation he popped the foreign object into his mouth and willed the force to protect him from whatever disasters his rash actions might incur.

For several moments nothing happened, the ball of meat sat on his tongue giving off a slightly salty taste. Then suddenly it disintegrated and the outer coating melted away into pools of slimy liquids that slid down his throat and nearly made Luke gag.

A cold foreign object fell onto his tongue but before he could spit the disgusting thing out a sudden static filled his head as if hundred bees where buzzing around inside his ears.

**_"Hello Luke it's nice to finally be able to speak to you,"_**Ameesa Dary's calming voice filled his head as if she was talking to him through a force bond and Luke wondered if this recording was going to take long to play.

**_"It has become quite clear to me that you are an excellent duellist and have great potential."_**

_No way, I made a complete fool of myself,_ thought Luke and found himself blushing at the inappropriate compliment from the Inquisitor before he could stop himself.

**_"Oh, don't say that. You have had next to no training and I was not exactly cutting you any slack_,"**

For a split second Luke gaped in confusion at the one way conversation before he realised that Ameesa Darys could actually hear his thoughts.

**_"Yes, you're right there. The device in your mouth allows us to form a preliminary force bond using magnetic signals that mimics the basic actions of the force, so we can talk without being heard._**_"_

_But what about Vader?_ demanded Luke fearfully.

**_"He will not be able to distinguish this from your normal flow of thoughts, besides you don't really believe that he will be monitoring every minute, you're not _that _interesting,"_**

The fiery sarcasm in her voice did not fit with the calm, deadly effectiveness she had display during their sparring match and her previously light-hearted congratulations sounded more like something Leia might say. Quickly Luke found himself warming to her persona.

_She's smart and funny, perhaps this won't be so bad after all. _

**_"I heard that!"_** the voice in his head proclaimed triumphantly, **_"but thank you for the compliment…I realise that I have to put the act on of the time to survive in the Navy."_**

Luke blushed even more vigorously than before but stopped himself from complimenting her further. She was still an Inquisitor and a nice personality did not guarantee that she was not out to harm him. After all Vader seemed very adamant that he should not go anywhere near the woman.

_You may be great but that doesn't mean I trust you. Where did you get this piece of equipment from anyway? I don't think your paycheque could fund a research lab._

**_"Trust me Luke, I'm privy to some really interesting things but this little piece of mechanical marvel comes from Prince Xizor."_**

_Prince Xizor? Isn't he the head of Black Sun!_ exclaimed Luke and his mind dragged up the image of Han's fearful look from the small place in his head that he did not want to revisit.

**_"What have you heard about the Black Sun?"_**

_Nothing, _said Luke hesitantly, _Apart from the fact that you won't want to get in bed with them._

Over their link Luke could hear her warming laugh ringing with excitement.

**_"You know, Skywalker, you're funnier than you look,"_** she said eventually after the giggles had left her voice.

_I'll take that as a compliment,_ replied Luke smoothly in his best impression of Han Solo. She giggled once more and Luke felt unexpectedly pleased with himself.

**_"Listen,"_**said Ameesa sounding much more serious now, **_"you, me and Xizor all have a mutual enemy and you know perfectly well who he is. I want revenge on Vader, Xizor wants his influence cut and you obviously want to get away."_**

_So it would be best if we all just co-operated…_thought Luke as he picked at the salad leaves on his plate. Was co-operating with a dangerous criminal the right thing to do, or even the smart thing to do?

_Why does cutting Vader's influence have anything to do with me?_ Asked Luke but he had feeling that he already knew the answer.

**_"The Emperor wants you delivered to him alive…I don't need to fill you in on his reasons for it just now but I'm sure you're smart enough to realise that Vader is not in his good graces after all those bungled attempts at capturing you. If he fails this time he will be demoted for good."_**

_But why do you want revenge on him? And why are you willing to risk your position in the Imperial Navy. You're hardly a noble citizen of the galaxy what with kidnapping children and trying to turn them to the dark side._

**_"Luke, I didn't take those children, I merely wanted to protect them from the full brunt of Vader's so called 'training'. He is not an easy master to please as you have seen. I hate Vader he had tortured me in more ways than you could ever imagine,"_** her voice sounded slow and shaky as though she was being assaulted by memories that she would rather hide, **_"I need to get away from him before the inevitable happens. I know I will not be accepted into the Rebellion but you are my only ticket out of this life and my only chance to destroying that _thing_."_**

Luke felt his heart sink at her words even though his mind was not fully convinced. He stretched out to the force for direction but only felt the well concealed sadness of her aura.

_I think I can understand,_ he said softly hoping that it would comfort her somewhat. _You are nothing like what I thought you would be._

**_"Thank you,"_** she whispered hoarsely over their force bond and Luke felt her mind tentatively reaching out to him.

_No stop, Vader will notice! _Luke cried in alarm and she instantly retreated leaving behind a dark empty space that made Luke almost regret what he did. _We'd better hurry up before something bad happens…_

**_"So you will trust me?"_** she asked cautiously.

_I suppose I have to because there's no other option for me…_muttered Luke, _but for all its worth I'm not just doing it because I have to…I feel I can trust you and perhaps…_ he hesitated for he had never been good at exposing his emotions to women but the force flowed through him warming him with her presence and Luke felt himself relaxing. _I mean perhaps we can even be friends…I don't mean to boast but I have lots of friends in the Alliance who will welcome you because you know so much stuff about the Empire and-,_

**_"Luke,"_** she interrupted gently, **_"I know where you're coming from,"_**

For an awful moment Luke thought that she was going to accuse him of coming onto her at an inappropriate time but she simply sent an unspoken message through the force to reassure him.

**_"I hope we will be able to be friends but right now we need a plan to get out,"_**

_Ever the practical one, _thought Luke more to himself than her but she evidently enjoyed his little jibe for he could feel her smiling through the force.

**_"Right, firstly Xizor and I have already decided to leak the co-ordinates of the Executor to the Rebel _****_Alliance_****_. He will be holding talks with Princess Leia Organa sometime today."_**

_What, _cried Luke with excitement, _Is Leia alright?_

**_"You do know that Princess Leia, a guy named Wes Janson and a smuggled called Rendar managed to escape yesterday?"_** said Ameesa sounding rather worried.

Suddenly it was as if a great weight had evapourated from Luke's shoulders and he sagged with relief. Happiness cruise through his veins and made him feel so light headed. The delight of hearing such good news nearly made him giddy with excitement, his head spun with a thousand questions that he wanted to ask but most of all he want to shout for joy.

**_"Steady Luke keep your emotions under control!"_** hissed Ameesa her voice tight with fear. **_"Vader is very attuned to you."_**

Luke was bursting with questions about the escape but suddenly it occurred to him that Ameesa might be able to resolve more than one mystery plaguing his life.

_Ameesa Darys, how did you know Vader is attuned to my feelings?_ asked Luke trying to keep his excitement under control.

**_"Everyone can feel it when you're excited,"_** she said rather guardedly and Luke felt the slightest glitch in the force between them. It was as though she regretted mentioning the subject at all but the feeling faded as quickly as it had come and Luke was unsure of what to say. **_"Besides I'm guessing you didn't know your friends had escaped."_**

_No, I didn't. Vader didn't tell me at all but are they alright? How did they manage to escape from the Executor?_

**_"Luke, the truth is they were set free…"_** replied Ameesa hesitantly. **_"Vader ordered the rebels to be tracked to their new base. I'm quite sure he plans to launch a secret offensive in a few days."_**

Luke felt his heart stop as though it had been instantly frozen. The full horror of the situation dawned on him before he had time to prepare his mental shields. Icy dread filled what happiness had occupied just a few seconds before and now cold logic made him feel like a fool.

_We have to warn the rebel base,_ said Luke trying with all his might to keep his voice steady and even. _This could mean the end of the Rebellion if we don't. _

**_"Precisely, Luke that's what Prince Xizor is doing right now. He's negotiating a deal with the rebel leaders."_**

_Negotiating a deal!_ cried Luke unable to retrain his fear and aggression, _Hundreds of thousands of people are going to die and he is treating it like **some business deal!**_

**_"Be reasonable,"_** said Ameesa calmly, **_"Prince Xizor is first and foremost a business man and he doesn't do charity as much as we would all like him to but we can't worry about these things now. We need to concentrate on an escape plan…oh and act naturally because there are surveillance cameras everywhere."_**

Taking a deep a breath as he could managed without attracting the unwanted attention of any Imperials, Luke looked down at his untouched salad and fingered a few leaves to make it look as if he was playing with his food, which in actual fact he was.

_Okay, I understand,_

It took a lot of self control to say it for his mind was still preoccupied by the wrath of the Imperial Navy looming on the not so distant horizon. The rebels would not have the benefit of any more stupid blunders by Imperial Officers, nor would they have the same weaponry or manpower as they had on Hoth. This time Vader was looking to eliminate the Rebellion for good.

**_"Look, it's not all doom and gloom, I'm sure your Princess friend will be smart enough to get the information off Xizor and the Rebels will be fully prepared for the attack."_**

_Yes, I suppose so, _muttered Luke despondently; _I only wish I could help them…_

**_"You can Jedi Skywalker but you have to get out of here first."_**

_Seriously, _said Luke with a sad chuckled, _I'm no Jedi, that was my father._ Perhaps he regretted letting his father slip into the conversation but Luke had half a mind to pry some information out of Ameesa for he was sure that as an Inquisitor she was privy to the forbidden files.

**_"You're going to ask me about Anakin Skywalker, aren't you?"_** said Ameesa suddenly as though she had read Luke's inner most thoughts.

_How did you just do that?_ He demanded rather more angrily than he meant.

**_"No, I didn't read your mind, Luke. It was obvious that you wanted to know after letting your father slip into our conversation…"_**

_And is there some obvious reason why you don't want to talk about it to me?_ asked Luke tentatively. There was a long pause on the other side of the link and for a moment Luke thought that he had pushed it too far.

**_"No, no obvious reason why I can't talk about it…"_** there was an even longer pause as though she was searching for the right words to use next.

**_"I knew Anakin Skywalker."_**

Luke gasped with surprise.

It was beyond his wildest dreams that he would eventually run into an Imperial who had know his father personally. A sudden thrilling sense of excitement tinged with fear invaded his heart and made his muscle tingle in anticipation.

**_"I was once a Jedi too…I met him on several missions during the Clone Wars."_** Her reply was short and concise as though she was forcing herself to continue the conversation.

Suddenly the holocron started to flash and to Luke's horror the time read 1530 hours.

_We've talking for nearly half and hour, _hissed Luke through their link. As much as it pained him to push away his only opportunity to learn more about his father he knew he had to postpone the conversation.

**_"Right, listen very carefully because you won't be hearing this plan again"_** said Ameesa decisively and through the force Luke could feel her annoyance at been distracted from duty. **_"If Xizor can get the rebellion to agree to his terms the Rebel _****_Alliance_****_ will launch a preliminary attack on the Executor before it reaches the rebel base. It will be a big one and hopefully some rebels will be able to infiltrate the ship."_**

_Hopefully? _Said Luke derisively, _this is the Executor we're talking about_.

**_"Okay bad phrasing, rebels _will_ infiltrate this ship because I am going to let them in. Them they will cause a diversion and the Inquisitorius will be charged with taking you safety. I will personally over see your transfer."_**

_But how?, Vader doesn't trust you._

**_"Because, Skywalker, I will be the only one available at that time,"_** replied Ameesa confidently and Luke was left wondering exactly how they were going to pull this complicated scheme off without at least murdering a whole platoon of Inquisitors and Lord Vader for good measure.

_Right,_ was all he could say.

**_"We will transfer you in secret to another Star Destroyer as Vader will order me to do. Then on that ship you will be given Vader's standard suit with a refresher."_**

_Okay, that sounds nice, _muttered Luke.

**_"You will proceed to snuggle under the covers of the bed and disable the cameras using a remote control devise. You will then feed the cameras a recording of you from the cameras in this room that is being taken right now."_**

Luke desperately wanted to laugh at her serious tone of voice as she recited his instructions.

**_"You will then climb down the toilet and slide through the pipe into the main sewage disposal unit on the deck 13-B. As you are swimming in the sewage pull the tracking device that is sewn into your waterproof underwear off."_**

_How did you know-,_

**_"Don't be a sissy,"_** she teased good naturedly, **_"You will then manually open the _very _visible hatch in the wall. Climb out and disable any droids that are there with your force powers. Use this communicating device to tell me you are ready…oh hold that thought…always take this device with you wherever you go. "_**

_Easier said than done,_

**_"Seriously, are you Luke Skywalker? Because in the tales I heard about you, you were actually a lot more adventurous,"_** she did not give him a chance to redeem his courage for she ploughed on, **_"Spit this device out and stuff it down your pants. I doubt Vader will even contemplate looking there."_**

Luke winced at the bad mental image it generated.

**_"I will be standing guard outside the door all this time and I will suddenly notice the camera has been tampered with and proceed to follow you down the hole." _**

_If this is half as easy as you're making it sound, why do we have to move to a different Star Destroy to do it?_

**_"Please, Luke, look around you. The people working here are the best in the Empire. On the other Star Destroyers they can't even compare…"_**

_We'll have Jirr to cover for us if we're here, _said Luke logically but a sharp spike of anxiety streaked through the force.

**_"Luke, I don't know how long I can trust this man for because he is risking a lot to help us. It would be best if we left."_**

_Right, you have a point._

**_"Backtracking back to our plan…I'll follow you into the sewage unit and meet you in the corridor outside where you will have disabled all the droids. We'll run together to the hangar bay where I'll cuff you and place you into a hyperdrive shuttle whilst confusing all the guards."_**

_That sounds interesting…_

**_"We'll fly to the Rebel rendezvous site and onto the new base."_** She finished triumphantly though Luke did not feel very secure with their ambitious plan.

_It sounds complicated…but I'm in…when is this offensive going to take place? _

**_"I don't know yet but tomorrow or the day after. Prince Xizor will contact me in time. Look I have to go, I'm on duty now but please remember the plan and you can contact me any time by chewing the device…it was nice talking to you Luke, you're one of a kind."_**

For some unexplainable reason the words filled Luke with so much warmth that it overflowed into his cheeks which started to smart with the heat.

_It-it-it was really nice talking to you too,_ he stuttered

**_"Bye, Luke."_**

The connection was cut and the static buzzed once more in his brain but this time it left his insides glowing with affection.

* * *

On the other side of the galaxy squeezed unceremoniously between Leia and Dash Rendar, Lando was not feeling quite so _glowy_ inside. 

"_Lando! Oh thank the stars!_" It had taken all of two seconds for the Princess and the smuggler to rush up the ramp and sandwich him between them like a nerf stake.

"Okay get off," he cried trying to keep the tension from his voice but no one seemed to be listening. Below him the congregation of everyone he had ever talked to or even walked past at the Rebel base was busy applauding him like a returning hero.

Behind him Chewie, Kay and Arikki were waving enthusiastically at the crowd, which made him in contrast look like a wet blanket.

"Good to have you back mate. Thought you were a goner there," said Rendar sounding slightly less smug than normal.

"I'm so glad that you're so glad to have me back but we need to talk,"

"_Oh Lando,_" cried Leia suddenly sounding uncomfortably like the weeping damsel she was clearly not, "is something wrong?"

"We need to speak in private immediately, Princess. It's _very _urgent!" hissed Lando into her ear that was pressed unnecessarily tightly to his cheek.

The urgency in his tone thankfully convinced Leia to dismiss the crowd which cheerily waved their goodbyes and to Lando's dismay some of the women even blew kisses. He was definitely not in the amorous mood right now.

Finally the six of them managed to slip into a side corridor that led to Leia's private chambers.

"What happened Lando?" demanded Leia anxiously.

He stopped and surveyed the two aliens still in their farmer's ponchos.

"Kay, Arikki, we've troubled you enough already. I think we'd better get you two settled in before night falls."

"I understand," said Kay slowly, "We are very grateful for you help,"

"No, Kay you have helped the Rebel Alliance so much, you deserve all the help we can give you. I am so sorry that you had to leave your family behind…" said Leia

"It is alright, they will be fine. The Imps on that planet are very lazy," replied Arikki trying to sound cheerful.

Chewie growled in the background signalling that he would take them to their quarters.

"Chewie will show you to your new quarters," said Leia gracefully and bowed to the two green skinned aliens who in turned bowed back and silently followed Chewie away.

"So what's the terrible news?" demanded Dash his cocky grin slapped joyfully across his face.

"I'm surprised _you're_ still here," snapped Lando derisively.

"Ah well she's still paying by the day so I thought why not?"

"I would _prefer_ if I discussed this with the princess first,"

It might have been Lando's imagination but the smirk of Dash's face seemed to fade just a little.

"You know, I think so too," muttered Leia quietly as though she was afraid of upsetting the smuggler.

"Fine by me," and Dash strode away without his customary arrogance.

"Look, we have no time to waste. I didn't dare tell you this over the commlink in case there was interception."

For the first time Leia's happiness deflated and she looked truly fearful.

"What is it?"

"You were tracked all the way here by the Imperials. You were allowed to escape so the Death Squad could find the Rebels and destroy us," said Lando a little too quickly and retreated to gage the princess's reaction.

"No," it was a flat denial. "Lando, Dash dropped the Imperial shuttle on a deserted mining colony and besides we were all scanned at the local crime syndicate while we were there…I have to say the techniques they employ are quiet exceptional."

Lando didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Princess, please listen we _have_ to evacuate this base now. The Imps have ways of tracking you that no underworld scum could even dream of. You're not safe here, _no one_ is safe anymore. Remember Hoth it's going to happen all over again if you don't do something. We must get out before it's too late!"

Leia looked affronted but perhaps it was the genuine terror behind Lando's warning that made her reconsider.

"I don't know why you're so terrified…"

"Listen, the alien boy Arikki, he actually worked for a Major at Iona base and he read the Major's mail. Darth Vader sent instructions that Luke was to be captured alive at all costs and that you guys should be tracked and allowed to escape. This whole thing was an Imperial set up from the very beginning; I bet Han wasn't even within a hundred light years of the place."

Leia chewed her bottom lip in a highly inappropriate manner as she processed this information.

"Why does Vader want Luke alive?" she demanded fiercely.

Lando groaned in exasperation. It was sweet that she actually remembered the boy but right now their safety was definitely the most pressing issue.

"We've been over this question enough times, I don't know and you don't know" he snapped, "but I do know if we don't get out of here we'll all be star dust by next week."

His words seemed to have no impact on Leia at all for she continued to glare at him expecting a proper answer.

"Look, I didn't find out any extra information while stuck on that hole of a moon. I should be the one asking you that question but _there isn't time_!"

"Lando Carissian, I _believe_ you…but we really need to figure Vader's plan out,"

"What has it got to do with anything?" demanded Lando angrily for he could not understand why Leia was suddenly caught up in this particularly mystery right now.

"_It_ has everything to do with us," said Leia suddenly sounding weary, "Lando, no one believes me but I just have this…_gut feeling_…that Vader's intentions are central to all his planning."

Lando raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had never thought ever since his first impression of the Princess that she would be the type of person who believed in intuition. Luke Skywalker might do, but not Princess Leia of Alderaan.

"Okay, Leia," he said trying to appease the Princess, "We will try our best to figure out Vader's plan but we must also concentrate on saving ourselves."

Leia's persona seemed to deflate somewhat and the troubled lines criss-crossed her face once more.

_She's aging prematurely,_ thought Lando sadly but there was nothing that anyone could do about that.

Suddenly an incessant beeping erupted from the folds of her white gown and she scrambled unceremoniously to reach the commlink hidden there.

"Hello?" she asked without looking at its contact display.

"Princess Leia, I'm calling to inform you that the Black Sun agent has arrived," said a rather nervous male voice through the speakers on the commlink

"Of course, thank you Cadet Mahoney," replied Leia gracefully and cut the call.

To say that Lando looked shocked would be doing his facial expressions an injustice for his features were contorted into a look of pure horror that could only have been matched by victims of Darth Vader's personal wrath.

"_You're talking to Black Sun!"_

He felt like gripping the naïve princess and shaking some sense into her but

"Why not? The Bothan spies cannot help us so we had to try some other more unorthodox methods."

"They are a _criminal _organisation, they won't think twice about double crossing you!" cried Lando completely forgetting that they were meant to be having a private conversation.

"_Lando_," snapped the Princess, "Han is frozen in carbonite, Luke is on the Executor and according to you there will be a full blow Imperial attack on this base in the next 24 hours! Do you think this is the time to dither about who we enlist to help us?"

"You don't understand…"

"_No_, Lando it is you who doesn't understand. The High Council has reached a unanimous decision so _you_ are going to have to accept it."

The sheer strength of will that flare in Leia's eyes was enough to deflate Lando's previous convictions. There was no arguing with the Princess even when she did not have the backing of the High Council.

"I know you're worried, Lando," said Leia more gently, "so why don't you come along to this meeting and give us your expertise on the Black Sun. We could do with an extra pair of eyes…"

"Alright, Princess," signed Lando.

* * *

Leia adjust her pale blue shawl and smoothed down her matching gown as she waited tensely for the Black Sun agent to enter. 

Around the table Chewie and Lando looked even more nervous than she felt but she knew that they were buried neck deep in the Black Sun's fearsome reputation. According to Han it had been well earned but surely any organisation would limit its violent excess to their enemies so she should in theory have nothing to worry about.

_The problem with theories is that they seldom work in the real world_, Leia though cynically as she sipped some of her Guri Juice.

C3PO had been kind, and naïve, enough to volunteer to serve drinks at this meeting, whilst R2D2 seemed to have the sense of a Jedi and had promptly disappeared before anyone could commandeer it.

Suddenly the door hissed open.

From first sight, Leia knew her contact was no ordinary human being. She was tall and elegant but not unnaturally so with radiant blond hair that Leia was almost envious of. The lady's robust stature suggested a lifetime's devotion to physical exercise but her perfectly smooth skin pointed to a vanity fulfilled only with the best cosmetics that money could buy. However it was not her physical beauty was the unnerving thing about her…she simply didn't _feel_ right.

Her expression was blank and cool as though she had been trained for such encounters and Leia knew behind the mask there was only cold detachment.

"Good evening, we are very please to meet you. I am Senator Organa and they," she gesture gracefully to Lando and Chewie, "are my companions, Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca."

The woman nodded in acknowledgement though her frozen expression did not change.

"I am likewise pleased, Princess Leia Organa, to be here." Her tone was pleasant and her speech eloquent but there was very little emotion behind the greeting. "I am Guri, Prince Xizor's personal representative."

Leia smile diplomatically as she slipped calmly into the role of negotiator.

"Welcome then Guri, though I have to say I much prefer to be referred to as _Senator_ _Organa_," said Leia with a touch of humour in her voice to prevent her comments from becoming offensive.

"As you wish," was the curt reply.

"Well, please take a seat and we will begin negotiations."

Guri acquiesced and settled in the seat directly opposite Leia looking somewhat intimidating in her velvet red dress. However Leia was used to handling intimidation.

"Prince Xizor has sent his kind greetings to the Alliance and he is very impressed by your courage and resourcefulness."

Leia smile with poise and from the corner of her eye she saw that Lando was doing the same though much more stiffly.

"He has heard very much about you, Senator Organa and he hopes to meet you in person at some time. However before he is able to experience the pleasure of your company he wishes for me to give you this…"

Leia froze with apprehension. _What is his personal agenda?_

From her velvet bag, Guri pulled out a small standard datachip with the Black Sun Logo firmly stamped on the back.

"Prince Xizor understands that the Alliance is most interested in the restricted files of the Clone Wars and he hopes that this gift will be of great use to you."

To her left Lando was gritting his teeth with fear and small beads of perspiration had formed on his forehead. Cold sweat rolled down the side of his face but he did not bother to wipe it away. Leia could almost hear his voice berating her.

"I am overwhelmed by his generosity," said Leia automatically hoping that her voice sounded calm and collected even though her heart was thumping away with anxiety. "However I must insist that the Alliance does not wish to owe Prince Xizor and we will very willing to purchase this item for a reasonable price."

"I can see that you are very anxious," stated Guri flatly as she stare across at Leia with her penetrating blue eyes. "I assure you that Prince Xizor is first and foremost a business man but he is also prey to emotions like all sentient beings."

Leia almost gasped in surprise as the meaning behind Guri's words sank in. At the precisely the same moment Lando's hand grab her wrist in a death grip.

"Are you saying that…"

"The Prince knows that you are an exceptional woman with grace and determination. He believes that he may be worthy of your company and hopes that you will consider his…offer,"

Leia's mind suddenly descended into chaos. In all her wildest imaginations she could not possibly believe that she would be hearing this. The very words that Guri had said sent her mind rushing back to the past, to Alderaan and her childhood.

_I do not believe it! Xizor is proposing to me!_

He _was_ proposing to her in the traditional aristocratic way, a blunt demand veiled by language fit for business negotiations.

For the first time in many year Leia felt truly flustered and to her great embarrassment she felt her cheeks growing hot under Guri's intense scrutiny. Suddenly to her horror she found that the idea did not seem as frightening as she should have thought.

"I am afraid that I simply cannot accept," said Leia slowly, "it would not be a practical union."

Beside her both Lando and Chewie stared at her in confusion.

"We are in the middle of a war; I simply cannot vouch for my own safety or survival," elaborated Leia as she resolutely ignored Lando's hand on her wrist.

There was a short but tense pause as the two parties eyed each other from across the table. Finally Guri broke the silence.

"Prince Xizor will understand your reasons for the rejection. However his good faith towards you and the Alliance remains and he would appreciate it if you kept his gift."

"I shall treasure his gift and good will, always," said Leia politely as she clasped the small datachip in her hands.

To her left Lando reached casually to take it from her but she stashed it quickly in the folds of her robes.

"Now, would you like to see the Imperial battle plans?" asked Guri lightly as though Leia's rejection did not mean anything at all to her. "Your payment has already been received and Prince Xizor personally vouches for the accuracy of this policy."

"What?" This was a shock too many for Lando and he jumped up in anger. "You've already clinched the deal!"

"Lando, please contain yourself," said Leia sharply hoping that he would not embarrass her in front of the perfect lady.

Perhaps it was his resignation to Leia's dominant persona or perhaps it was Guri's unsettling stare that made Lando swallow his anger with difficulty and sit back down but in the end he did so without a word.

"Please hand them over to C3PO who will compare it against the list we ordered,"

Guri did not need direction as she plugged the small sleek datapad into the back of C3PO. The golden droid immediately froze so that he could divert all of his considerable computing powers to analysing the information.

"My Lady, the information is quite complete," stated the droid after a few seconds.

"Very well, thank you, Guri. I hope that we will be able to continue this mutually beneficial relationship in the future," said Leia. It was a rather rushed goodbye but right now she wanted nothing more than to get rid of the strange woman and Prince Xizor's baffling demand.

"It has been a pleasure meeting you, Senator Organa."

With that Guri strolled confidently out through the doors with unnaturally straight posture to the protocol droid waiting outside.

The double doors hissed closed behind her and Leia let out a breath she did not even know she was holding.

"Alright, Princess!" cried Land jumping up from his seat once more. "I refuse to be kept in the dark any longer. Tell me, how is it that you only arrive a day before us that you were able to broker a deal with Black Sun so quickly?"

"Lando, don't shout, and they are called _The _Black Sun," sighed Leia feeling exhausted, "The Alliance has been relying on information from the Black Sun for a while now. Not officially but the Bothan Spies often work with their leads. The Black Sun wishes to gain our favour so they won't be hindered in Rebel controlled space, whilst also gaining a bigger information market. I've never met Xizor before but the Alliance council has been in several meetings with the heads of the Black Sun."

Lando looked amusingly like a goldfish that had jumped out of its bowl and was now facing imminent death at the jaws of a cat.

"I don't believe it," he muttered weakly. Behind him Chewie howled with regret.

"I'm sorry Chewie, Lando that I didn't tell you. I just…I knew you won't like it and neither do we but it's our only option. We cannot win the war with our intelligence alone we simply don't have enough spies."

Chewie did not look appeased.

"You're going to regret this," said Lando hoarsely, "We all are…"

Chewie suddenly growled as though he had just thought of something and Lando jerked upright with a start.

"Yeah, Princess, _exactly _what was the offer you rejected from Xizor and why did he give you that little gift?"

Leia took a deep breath.

"You know that we have been dealing with the Black Sun for a while…well Xizor knows quite a lot about me now, so he proposed…"

Beside her Lando let out an extremely feminine scream.

* * *

**AN:** Hope you liked it, please review. 


	15. Seduction

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 14. Seduction

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: ****VFSNAKE **for all you reviews and because you wanted to know why Vader was being so nice.

**AN:** **The next chapter is on my website under the fanfiction section- The Illusionist. **

* * *

Even to fairly inexperienced eyes of Princess Leia, the 'Board' did not look good. Their thirty squadrons of A-wings were outnumbered three to one by the Empire. Intelligence reports expected five Imperial Star Destroyers along with a contingent of smaller but equally deadly vessels and of course the pièce de résistance: _The_ _Executor_.

The sickening sense of dread that had first descended upon her when she read the intelligence report from the Black Sun returned full force as she regarded the battle plan.

_To think, we could have been completely unaware…the Rebellion could have been wiped out with a single stroke._

However now was not the time to dwell on other possibilities, she had a battle to plan and a battle to win.

* * *

_**Skywalker, I'm back.**_ Those three little words sent through the force made Luke flush with warmth once again. It felt as though they had been apart for a life time. 

_Hi, Ameesa…_

_**Right no time for small talk. The Imperial attack will commence some time this evening. **_

_This evening!_

_**Don't panic, I have everything ready. By 1900 tonight the rebels will launch a pre-emptive strike on the Death Squad and all the Inquisitors will be sent to their various units. **_

_I always thought the Inquisitorius was independent,_ said Luke as he stared absently out of the view port to make it look as if he was just day dreaming.

Another nine hours had gone by and now it was officially a new day, perhaps the last day he would have to spend as an Imperial prisoner. Conveniently Darth Vader seemed to have lost some of his interest in Luke for he had only visited once and that was only to use the comm unit.

_**The division is now used primarily for intelligence and the Empire's way of gathering intelligence is through captives. **_

_I take it that they won't be doing any fighting then, _said Luke hoping that his friends would not have to face these force-sensitives as pilots or commanders.

_**Probably not, **_replied Ameesa somewhat evasively. _**Anyway, the plan. I will come to collect you at 1905. Vader will probably be present so make sure you block your mind from him. We will then proceed to the Devastator, down to the trash compactor and onto the shuttle.**_

Before Luke could answer the terrifyingly familiar presence appeared in the force.

_Darth Vader's coming! _He almost screamed with fear.

Before Ameesa could reply to his frantic telepathy, the door to the outer chamber slid open sparking electrifying signals in the force. Luke tried desperately to pull the device out of his mouth but his hands were clammy with fear and the little ball stuck firmly to his teeth like a mini sarlacc.

_Too late…_ he thought as the inner door panel beeped in recognition.

One mighty effort with his tongue caused the device to fall away but there was no time left to hide it. With the air of martyrdom Luke gulped down the cold slimy ball and hurriedly composed his facial expression as the Dark Lord of the Sith strolled in.

_Oh his terrifying Sithness has returned, _

If Vader had heard the comment, he preferred to act as though he hadn't. Instead he surveyed the chamber as though looking for any signs of violent activity. Satisfied that his prisoner had been relatively docile in the past few hours the Sith Lord decided turned his attention back to the small skinny Rebel.

Luke felt a faint sense of unease as he stared boldly back at Darth Vader. He had tried to behave normally but somehow Vader had an uncanny ability to pick up subtleties. Unfortunately his unease was quite justified.

"You will be coming with me today," stated Vader though it sounded more like an order. "I do not trust you to spend anymore time on your own."

The horror of discovery sparked through Luke's mind and for an instant he almost betrayed his fear but he kept his expressions in check. Carefully he tried to wipe his mind of fear and surprise but even as he did Luke knew that his raging emotions had sent a storm through the force.

"Your fear is not justified," rumbled Vader as he waved a finger in Luke's direction. "Just yesterday you were convinced that you wanted to leave this chamber."

Luke chewed his bottom lip nervously as he watched Vader's blank mask. It seemed as though Vader had interpreted his terror as fear of the Sith Lord's company.

"I don't want to take part in any of your evil schemes, Vader," snarled Luke, hoping that he sounded as though he was playing along with Darth Vader's line of thinking.

"You will merely be accompanying me on some of my duties. Provided that you keep silent and do not cause any trouble, I see no need to restrain you."

"I don't have any choice do I?" asked Luke.

"Well observed, my son," said Vader his voice dripping with sarcasm and Luke tried not to bristle at the address. He had to think fast because poor Ameesa's scheme was sliding rapidly into the trash compactor. Considering he had just swallowed the only means of communication he had with her, Luke could only hope that there was some sort of back up plan.

The corridors of the Executor were filled with uniformed officers rigidly going about the day's business like poorly programmed droids. No one paid the slightest attention to the skinny haggled looking youth trailing behind the Darth Vader.

The _Executor_ was like a gigantic prefabricated city with drab residents and no entertainment but it was, like any city, a labyrinth. Within a few minutes Luke had the sinking feeling that if he was ever to escape from Vader's custody there would be no way he could escape the Executor.

What Luke thought was the main detention block was situated a surprisingly short distance away from Vader's quarters, though on closer inspection the sign outside the door said "Medical Bay ".

_Why did he bring me to the medical bay of places?_ thought Luke as he trundled into the complex after the intimidating figure of the Sith Lord.

Doctor Laisson was there to greet them with the cool professionalism of an experienced diplomat. There was no trace of the fear and uncertainty in his eyes that Luke had witnessed in their first meeting together. Instead he looked the picture of Imperial perfection, calm, diligent, unassuming.

"My Lord, Mr. Skywalker, I assume this visit is for Mr. Skywalker's medical examination."

"What examination?" demanded Luke, reeling back in shock. It was just like Vader to con him into a terrible situation.

"A routine examination," rumbled Vader. "I shall be inspecting Governor Felix."

"Very good, My Lord," Doctor Laisson bowed low as Vader swept past him and then focused his attention back to Luke who stood looking as though he was on the verge of trying to escape.

"Really, I'm not going to do anything to you," said the doctor in his most benign voice, "goodness knows my life would be on the line if anything were to happen to you. Lord Vader is very insistent on you being in good health."

Luke scowled in disgust and seated himself on the examination table near the front entrance.

"I may as well get it over and done with."

"I must say you seemed quite different from the young man I saw just a few days ago, you seemed so much calmer back then," commented the doctor as he activate a small floating droid and pulled out several nasty looking hypodermic needles.

_And you've become chattier since we last met_

"Well, being an Imperial Prisoner can change a man," muttered Luke darkly as he eyed the small round med droid floating menacingly towards him. Doctor Laisson simply raised his eyebrows as though he knew exactly where Luke had been staying in the last few days.

"BY-980 is just going to give your organs a quick scan, then I'll take a sample of your blood, won't hurt one bit."

_Funny how even the doctor treats me like a kid, _thought Luke cynically as the droid scanned his upper body with its invisible sensors.

"Well, I must say it could be worse. Lord Vader doesn't usually take such good care of his 'prisoners', though I think you hardly qualify to be his prisoner."

Luke's head snapped up in surprise, could the doctor know about his supposed 'relationship' with Darth Vader?

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I have been Lord Vader's doctor for many years and never have I seen him take a prisoner to his own private quarters before. He must care for you very much."

Luke felt faintly sick at the notion of being cared for by Darth Vader.

"He's just afraid that I'll break out of my cell with my Jedi powers," said Luke trying to sound as though he actually had such momentous power.

"Oh, I'm afraid we have plenty of cells here that even a Jedi could not break out of. The Executor was specially designed to hold captive Jedi in cells where they can't commune with the force. It does seem to me as if he is very concerned about you."

The inquisitive doctor was clearly trying to pry some sort of answer from Luke's lips, though Luke had never thought Laisson would be the kind of person who indulged in gossip and intrigue.

"Well, I'm as clueless as you are, perhaps even more," replied Luke with a noncommittal shrug. Doctor Laisson simply smiled tightly and advanced with the syringe.

"Pull your sleeve up and we'll take a blood sample. I'll analyse it straight away but from the scanning results you are functioning normally, though you are a bit on the thin side."

Luke obediently rolled up his olive green sleeve and watched as the needle penetrated his skin.

"I've got several other patients to see after you, but I suppose you'll have to stay until Lord Vader gets back," continued Laisson as he pushed the full syringe into one of the small machines built into the wall. "I hope you don't mind. I'm not allowed to leave you on your own, though I can't see what I could do if you really wanted to escape, which I'm sure you don't."

"It's alright," said Luke politely, "I'm sorry that you have to babysit me, that's really Vader's job."

To his surprise, Laisson chortled at his sarcasm as he pulled a print out from the wall.

"I have no problems with babysitting you, I do have three young children of my own…and you are in perfectly good shape."

"You have children?"

It had never occurred to Luke that Imperials actually had families. It was not in itself a far fetched idea but up until this point he was ashamed to admit that he had never seen the personnel as anything other than cannon fodder.

"Oh, yes three daughters, six, eight and ten. I get to visit them on leave."

The thought that Laisson had such young children waiting at home to see him was an unnerving thought. Did the TIE pilots also have children and wives at home? Did they stick holo pictures of their families in their fighters like the Rebels did?

Though Luke was familiar with the atrocities of war he had never been given the opportunity to dwell on the destruction he had wreaked upon other's lives. It had always been a crusade for the light and, to a certain extent, a game for him. Each fighter that he blew up was one less Imp in the galaxy. All the deaths aboard the Death Star…revenge for Alderaan, the Empire deserved it.

Only now as he sat across from Doctor Laisson did he see that the man was not just an Imperial, he was also a human being with a family waiting for him to come home.

Slowly he turned to look out of the Med Centre at the trickle of uniformed officers walking past. Each one of them had a family, each one of them had mothers, sisters, wives and children who missed them and waited anxiously for them to come home.

_But how many TIE pilots would not be coming home? How many children will not see their fathers again? How many mothers will never see their sons again?_

A terrible sinking feeling swelled in his stomach until he felt sick with guilt. He had had small bursts of regret in the past but Han or Wedge or Leia would always be there to tell him what a wonderful job he had done. Everyone at the Rebel base had hailed him as a hero and he had been carried away by their praises.

_He was a hero for orphaning children…for tearing up families…for killing dreams._

Luke felt once again the intense anguish, grief and pain as the images of his aunt and uncle flashed before his eyes; their charred carcasses smouldering in the desert. The Empire had destroyed the only home he had ever known…but did they believe they were doing the right thing? One less rebel in the galaxy?

_No, they killed Uncle Owen for the droids. There was no need for it!_

But the voice in the back of his mind, that calm rational voice, said he was wrong.

How many young boys out there would never get to know their father? How many other boys would grow up knowing only that Father had died a hero…fighting for what he believed in? How many other boys would only feel the cold comfort of words instead of a loving embrace?

_How many other Lukes were out there? How many Lukes had he created?_

A hot prickling sensation smarted behind his eyes and Luke realized that he was about to cry. The horrible feeling of guilt and pain suddenly weighed upon his shoulders like iron chains.

_To the Imperials I am a murderer…I am the man who takes away their sons, their husbands and their fathers_.

_To them I am just like Darth Vader._

It was a hideous thought but even as he tried in vain to push it away he saw the spectre in the cave once more. His own severed head stared blankly out from Vader's broken helmet with as eyes as cold as the ice fields on Hoth.

_To them I am just like Darth Vader._

This was what the vision had tried to tell him along. Yoda had ordered him to contain his darkness but encouraged to fight the Empire…to kill Vader.

_But what was the point, perhaps Vader saw himself reflected in me all along. Perhaps he has already seen how much evil I have in me…that is why I would be the perfect Sith. _

"Luke? Are you alright?" the worried voice of Doctor Laisson cut through his guilt-ridden thoughts. "You're all hunched up and shivering? Can I take your temperature?"

"No," muttered Luke as he tried to regain his composure, "I'm fine, really."

The doctor looked far from convinced but as if on cue a smartly dressed Officer marched into the Medical Centre and Laisson hurriedly ran over to greet him as if he was almost as important as Darth Vader.

"Captain Venka, please take a seat." Unfortunately Luke had sprawled himself on the only piece of equipment at could be designated as a seat and he felt far too depressed to make room for the pompous looking Captain. Poor Doctor Laisson was clearly torn between asking Vader's protégé to leave and leaving the Captain standing.

However the Captain was far more interested in Luke than the absence of a chair.

"Cadet, what is your name?" demanded Venka sternly.

Luke looked up and eyed him insolently. The Rebellion had lost so much on Hoth and Luke had lost a great friend, Dak. Now a brutal wave of vengeance was the only thing that Luke could think about as he stared into the frozen grey eyes of Captain Venka (1).

_So this is the great Captain Venka of the Executor. Well he doesn't look so wonderful to me._

"You talking to me?" he asked putting on his best Han Solo impression and lounged backwards to show that he wasn't afraid of retribution. He had taken an instant dislike to this cold, fearsome man who looked as though nothing could possibly faze him, apart from perhaps being choked by Darth Vader.

Doctor Laisson gasped silently in horror at Luke's contemptuous attitude as though he had never seen such disrespect in his life.

"Would you care to repeat that, Cadet?" snarled Venka, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

_Oh brother, this is definitely one Imperial I won't feel upset about killing,_ thought Luke and furiously shoved his guilty bitterness aside.

"Yeah okay, I _said_ are you talkin' to me?" snapped Luke thrusting his chin forward with defiance. "You got a problem with that you hatsu sleemo"

"How dare you speak to me like that you Outer Rim Scum,"

Luke had not idea what possessed him to strike the Captain, perhaps it was the pompous accent and the Imperial arrogance or perhaps it was simply that he had never hated himself more at that moment.

Venka let out a howl of pain and clutched his nose.

Beside him Doctor Laisson looked ready to faint, but not because of Luke's very colourful display. Standing just inside the door was none other than Darth Vader in all his menacing glory.

Under the intense scrutiny of Vader's glare Luke quickly turned away feeling very much like a little boy caught fighting at school.

"I apologize for Luke's rudeness, Captain Venka," rumbled Vader calmly.

The blood drained from Venka's face so quickly that Luke had trouble suppressing a laugh. The Captain's terror was almost palpable as he snapped an awkward salute.

"This is Luke Skywalker, my Lord? My most humble apologies I had not idea."

"But I expect you will want to hear it from Luke, himself," continued Vader as if he had not heard the captain.

Luke snapped his head around to stare at Vader. _Was he expecting Luke apologize to this horrid man?_

"He _started_ it" said Luke defiantly as he folded his arms resolutely in front of his chest and stuck his bottom lip out reflexively.

The collective intake of breath from both Laisson and Venka left Luke wondering if there was enough oxygen left in the room for him.

"I do not care who started it, Luke," rumbled Vader menacingly but across their bond Luke did not feel the expected surge of anger.

"I'm not apologizing until he apologizes to me," snapped Luke, "He called me Outer Rim scum,"

Venka looked horrified, astonished and offended all at once causing his features to contort in ridiculous ways.

"I recall that I ordered all my officers to treat young Skywalker with the respect that they show me," said Vader quietly but Luke could feel the boiling rage behind the words. Apparently Venka could too for his complexion turned an unhealthy shade of grey.

"I am most sorry my Lord, please accept my apologies Mr. Skywalker," muttered Venka looking very, very contrite.

"Now, apologize, Luke," ordered Vader as though the issue had been resolved.

"Fine, I'm sorry for hitting you," snapped Luke looking anything but abashed.

"Very well, I shall not keep you Doctor; send a print out of all Luke's files to me."

"Of course my Lord, your son is in good health," replied Laisson.

"_What?_" screamed Luke in complete shock, "You know? How did you-,"

Doctor Laisson looked almost confused as though he thought the matter of Luke's paternity to be common knowledge.

Vader's glare was enough to bring silence to the room.

"Come, Luke I do not have all day," with that Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith gripped Luke's upper arm and hauled him out of the room and the door slid shut behind them.

"You told like _everyone _about me being your son!" cried Luke, "how could you? How could you embarrass me like this?" In truth Luke had never been so embarrassed in his life. Now the whole ship and perhaps even the whole galaxy would know about this disgusting falsehood but they would all believe it!

A spark of dark amusement flitted across their bond.

"_Embarrass you?_" demanded Vader sounding as though he was trying to decide whether anger or amusement was the most appropriate response. "I embarrass you?"

"I'm _not_ your son! Stop lying to all those people! I'm going back in there to tell them the truth!" cried Luke as he tried to unclench Vader's fingers.

"I have had enough of your irrational mood swings," snapped Vader as gripped Luke's other hand and the tidal wave of anger Luke had been waiting for gushed through their bond. "You are more of an embarrassment to me. I leave you alone for five minutes and you assault a high ranking officer."

"It's was more like twenty minutes actually," replied Luke, working on the logic that he was probably going to be skinned alive anyway when they got back to Vader's quarters so he may as be as rude as possible while he was still able to talk.

"I am not going to skin you alive," said Vader waving an abominating glove finger in Luke's face, "Although I might not be so merciful if you keep trying my patience. Your behaviour is completely inappropriate for one of your age and status."

_Oh brother, this is beginning to sound like a lecture from Uncle Owen, except he always threatened to spank me if I didn't start behaving. _

"I am not a supporter of physical punishment," rumbled Vader and Luke smarted with embarrassment. "There are many other ways of making you behave."

Nasty images started to form in Luke's head and he quickly brushed them aside.

"However you are not entirely to blame for your actions," continued Vader completely ignoring the fact that Luke was gaping at him like a goldfish. "You are an outer rim farm boy and still a child, you will learn correct deportment from your tutors."

"What? What's deportment?" demanded Luke suddenly drowning a feeling of complete dread. _Was this another ploy to turn him to the dark side? Was Vader going to teach him how to kill someone with the force?_

From across their bond Luke could have sworn he felt a sense of weariness and exasperation reminiscent of Uncle Owen but it was quickly snuffed out by the building annoyance.

"Deportment," explained Vader "refers to your carriage and correct behaviour in social situations."

_Uh? Socialising lessons, has the world gone mad! Only Leia could possibly be subjected to this kind of torture and survive…_

"Wait, are you saying that I have to learn how to behave all proper and snotty like?" asked Luke, feeling that he would have preferred to learn how to choke someone to death with the force, at least _that_ could be useful in the future. "I thought the Emperor wanted me to be a Sith not some socialite. What ever happened to lightsabres and force chokes?"

"That will come in time, young one. You are going to be part of the Emperor's court and therefore you will be expected to have all the social graces of the aristocracy."

A horrible mental image of ballroom dancing at the Imperial palace with Vader and the Emperor watching his clumsy attempt to waltz with a snobbish looking girl formed in Luke's mind.

"You can't do this to me," said Luke mostly to reassure himself. "I'll refuse, I'll kill myself,"

Across their bond Luke felt the mental equivalent of Vader raising one appraising eyebrow.

"I highly doubt that son; these lessons will not be draining. In fact I suggest you think of them as break from your normal training."

"No, I'm not going to turn to the dark side or learn how to-to-to dance like some pansy!" snapped Luke wondering what Han would do if he ever heard about this, probably tell the whole base and make Luke the laughing stock of the Rebellion…if they didn't kill him for being Darth Vader's son first.

"You have no choice, Luke, I suggest that you acclimate yourself to your situation and be grateful for what you have been given," rumbled Vader with a finality that even Luke was forced to accept.

_Besides arguing with him is just wasting my time…_

"Where are we going?" asked Luke as he decided to change the subject.

"To see Governor Felix,"

"Why? Isn't he that disgusting fat slime ball who bought all the slaves from Jabiim(2)?" asked Luke as Vader half dragged him down the corridor by his left arm.

"Governor Felix as recently been exposed to an assassination attempt after he refused to pay the ransom for his children from the Rebellion."

"Why not? I bet he has more money than sense but I guess that wouldn't make him very rich."

Vader didn't even pause to glare at Luke.

"Governor Felix is still recovering aboard this vessel and I am going to introduce you to him. Behave yourself; do not speak unless spoken to, and whatever you do say must be appropriate."

"Why are you – you're going to tell him I'm your son, aren't you!" snapped Luke angrily digging his heels into the floor but that did little to slow them down. "You can't do that, I'll tell him the truth!"

"I shall be formally introducing you to the Officer's Council tomorrow; I cannot postpone it any longer, think of this as a trial run. If you do not perform to my expectations I believe an incentive would be in order – perhaps with the blade end of a lightsabre."

Vader left the threat hanging in the air as a gold plated door swung.

_What ever happened to not supporting physical punishment?_

"Governor Felix,"

"Lord Vader," rasped a cracked and weary voice from behind an elegant white screen situated at the other end of the room.

The room, in question, was tastefully decorated like a five star hotel with a vase of Korillian water lilies balanced precariously on the coffee table in the middle of the room surrounded by a three piece suite.

For a few moments Luke thought that Vader was the cause of this man's anguished voice but upon connecting with the force he realised that Felix was actually _happy_ to find the Dark Lord of the Sith invading his chamber.

"I have come to introduce my son, Luke Skywalker, to you," stated Vader as he took a step closer to the screen. Luke did not follow, something in the force told him that he was not going to like what lay behind the nice looking panel. However he didn't really have a choice as Vader hauled him forwards with a vice like grip.

_**Behave,**_ he commanded mentally and dragged them both towards the edge of the screen. _**Try to control yourself when you see him, it will not be pleasant.**_

With one small shove Vader pushed Luke behind the translucent panel and he came face to face with the most hideous _thing_ he had ever seen.

The 'face' was covered with mottled skin so charred and blacked that it did not resemble a human face at all. Deep cracks ran in random pattern criss-crossed the surface and they oozed yellow pus that had solidified in some places to form a crusty sulphurous covering. The hair that should have covered the top of the monstrous shape had completely disappeared leaving only a patch of scorched hide was peeling away in large flakes like black paint. Beneath it a layer of shiny red skin crusty with infection was clearly visible.

There were no facial features left, no eyes, no nose and even the ears were nothing but small blacken lumps on either side of the face.

The _thing_ was covered with a white hospital gown that enveloped the rest of its body but from the charred skin on its neck, Luke knew he had only just seen a tiny part of the injuries.

"Welcome, my lord, young Mr. Skywalker,"

It rose and bowed slightly, leaving Luke wondering how painful that little stunt felt with all those burns.

Vader merely nodded but gave Luke a sharp nudge.

_**I'm expected to say something to that-that- thing?**_ hissed Luke across their force bond.

_**Do not be prejudiced by his appearance, the Rebels are responsible for it.**_

_**No!**_ snapped Luke angrily, _**that's just an Imperial lie, we would never do this to anyone!**_

_**Do not be so naïve, my son; Governor Felix has been the victim of a typical rebel assassination. It was the poison that has caused so much scarring and he is most fortunate to still be alive.**_

_**No! **_cried Luke unable to take his eyes of the disgusting mutilated shape in front of him. _**No! That's impossible!**_But it was all in vain for the force was confirming Vader's statement and overwhelming Luke with the sensation of truth.

He wanted to run away from what he was facing. The thing was actually staring at him; Luke could feel its ruined eyes still trying to perform their function.

_**I'm going to be sick…**_

A calm cool presence washed over his mind, soothing his fears and enveloping him in a strange sense of safety.

_**Be still, my son, if you feel it is too much we shall leave.**_

_**No, **_cried Luke blindly pushing the feel of Vader's presence away from his mind, _**get away from me, stop it!**_

Reluctantly the presence withdrew but Vader gripped Luke's shoulder instead.

"Hello…Governor Felix," whispered Luke hoarsely and closed his mouth immediately in case he could not hold back the nausea.

"Ah, I am most honoured to meet you, Mr Skywalker. I have heard great tales of your exploits. I am sure you will be a great asset to the Empire now that you have been reunited with your father," rasped Felix turning his face in Luke's general direction.

This time Luke wasn't sure whether it was the appearance or its words that made his nausea return with a vengeance.

"Uh…thank you," muttered Luke.

"I envision a great future for you, Mr Skywalker," groaned Felix through his ruined vocal cords. "I wish I could be as proud of my son,"

Luke simply stared back at it hoping they would be dismissed soon.

"My son wanted to be pilot in the Imperial Navy, unfortunately he's performance at school is somewhat lacking." For a split second Luke felt rather than saw the whimsical expression on Felix's face. "But I suppose it doesn't matter now…I would give anything to be able to just have my children with me."

"Where are they?" blurted Luke before he could stop himself.

"I have not heard anything from the Rebels who kidnapped my wife and children since the assassination attempt," whispered Felix wearily, "I'm not sure I will," his voice cracked in a way that had nothing to do with his injuries.

Suddenly Luke felt an empathic link form in the force with this _man_, this hideous scarred being, yes, but he was still a man. He had lost everything, his whole family was now beyond his reach, alive or dead, but it hardly mattered anymore because he powerless to help them.

"I'm sorry," whispered Luke even though he was unsure of what he was sorry for. The Rebellion could not possibly do something like this to anyone, not even a self interested Imperial sleemo.

"Thank you for your time, Governor," rumbled Vader as he drew the meeting to a close. "Come, Luke."

They exited the room in silence and Luke fought the weak feeling in his knees.

"The Rebellion wouldn't -," started Luke but he had felt the truth behind Vader's initial words which was why he tried to deny it so vehemently.

"The Rebellion is well known for its atrocities. Why do you think there are so many dedicated men in the ranks of the Imperial Navy?"

After witnessing the sheer determination of the Imperial Navy in battle, Luke was hard pressed to make a scathing remark about the dedication of its personnel. It was true that the Imperials were unswervingly loyal to their cause but he had always thought that they were all being intentionally misled by the Emperor. If all the Imperials were informed of the Empire's monstrosity than they would all, without question, turn to the Rebellion. However right now, standing outside the gold plate door and trying but failing to purge the disgusting images out of his mind, Luke was no longer so sure of his convictions. Perhaps the Imperials thought it was the Rebel Alliance that commit the atrocities, perhaps with people like Governor Felix running around the whole galaxy would be incline to believe it.

_But the rebels didn't build a Death Star, _thought Luke, _we didn't blow up Alderaan._

_Ah,_ said that horrid little voice in the back of his mind that was now becoming more and more vocal, _but the Rebellion is hardly the shining crusade you thought it was…what with all the political intrigue going on…frankly said, Luke, they don't trust you one little bit. They can't tell the difference between Jedi and Sith, all they see is another Vader waiting to rise…besides how do you know the dark side is so bad? Didn't Ben and Master Yoda encourage you to kill all those people on the Death Star? They were even training you to kill you own father…_

"He's not my father!" cried Luke out loud before he could stop himself. The voice retreated and he was let listening to his voice echoing off the walls.

Beside him, Luke didn't need the force to know that Vader was staring at him as though he was few grains short of a sand dune.

"Who are you talking to?" demanded Vader,

"Myself," hissed Luke feeling his cheeks smart with embarrassment, "can we go now, you've traumatised me enough for one day."

"Why do you deny our relationship?" asked Vader once more as though he still could not understand Luke's motivation behind it.

"Are you joking? It's not true," snapped Luke angrily.

"If you were not my son why would I treat you like this? Are you really naïve enough to believe that I am this lenient with mere prisoners?"

"You're just using me," said Luke bitterly, "you just want to use me to overthrow the Emperor."

"If I wanted to overthrow my master, why would I not choose one of my other pupils to be my Shadow Hand(3)? I have many under my command who are far more powerful and well trained than you, young Skywalker."

Luke considered this possibility for a moment. Ameesa Darys and the other Inquisitors were all well trained in the force, and perhaps even more powerful than Luke was. After all, his sporadic attempts at using the force were ridiculous compared to the poise and control demonstrated by the Inquisitorius.

_Vader has a point…_

A strange sensation gushed through him, both exciting and terrifying as though his body was unable to make up its mind about how to react.

"I don't believe you," said Luke forcefully but his words seemed so hollow.

"Do you think that I concocted this scheme just to amuse myself?" insisted Vader and Luke realised that this whole exchange was completely out of character for the most feared Dark Lord of the Sith.

Darth Vader had been considerate during that last few days despite Luke's atrocious behaviour and his numerous attempts to humiliate him. He had accepted Luke's limits, indulged his sulking and even managed to talk to him without making any death threats.

_What in the spinning galaxy is going on? All those evil stories about him…surely I should be dead by now? _

_Unless of course he's…right…_

"My head hurts," muttered Luke dismally.

"I suggest you take a moment to think through this logically," said Vader sounding a lot calmer than Luke had ever heard him.

"I…just leave me alone," said Luke feebly, "just give me some space."

"Very well, I shall leave you in my quarters."

* * *

As Vader sealed the doors to his quarters, he could still feel the turmoil of Luke's emotions shaking the force like a miniature sand storm. He was indeed as strong as Anakin had been, perhaps even more. 

_And when he becomes my apprentice, we shall be unstoppable._

As Palpatine had demonstrated to him all those years ago, slow and steady manipulation of emotions was far more effective than brute force. He had fail on Bespin because he could not contain his anger and desperation, but now he had the boy at his side…this time he was sure to succeed.

The naïve boy was so innocent even after all those years of warfare. Had he ever been so innocent in his youth? Perhaps at one time but that was simply a relic of the past now. Anakin Skywalker was gone, but his son had inherited all of his emotional weaknesses.

Vader strode through the corridors of the Executor feeling almost _happy_ at the success of his plan. Soon the boy would crack in the face of all the evidence, true or otherwise, piling up against him. Once he saw the Rebellion for what they really were, Luke would surely turn his back in disgust.

Thinking back to the alien emotions of Anakin Skywalker had given Vader all the inspiration he need. A father meant everything to Luke and as long as Vader could use the right leverage…

_Once he accepts me as his father, he will be mine forever. _

With a sly smile that no one could see Vader contemplated the irony of the situation.

_Thank you Anakin, you have been of great use to me after all but in the end Luke will be _my_ son and not yours…_

_Ah,_ said that small insistent voice buried so deeply in the darkness that Vader almost forgotten it still existed…

_Ah, _said Anakin's voice. _Are you so sure you and I are totally different after all?_

* * *

1.Venka is actually a real character from ESB. He is seen in the nav pit talking to Piett when the bounty hunters arrive. 

2.The Imperial enslavement of Jabiim happened in "In the Shadows of Their Fathers" comic arc. Luke is sent to convince the Jabiimian to side with the Rebellion but his name sparks a great deal of anger because during the clone wars Anakin Skywalker deserted Jabiim to the Separatists. If you want to read the full story visit Wookiepedia.

3.Shadow Hand is actually a canon term referring to the apprentice of a Sith apprentice used to over throw the Sith master. Here Vader is referring to various pupils such as Tao (look out for him), Flint and Lumiya.

* * *

**AN:** Please note that Luke and Vader do not both have some variety of genetic schizophrenia. It's just their respective 'devil' and 'angel' talking inside their heads. Please review or Vader might get all mushy and melt… 


	16. Indecision

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 15. Indecision

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: **Carrie2Sky for being such an encouraging reviewer. I hope my Luke/Vader is realistic and entertaining. A big thanks to my beta who did a wonderful job and this chapter and every other chapter in the story.

* * *

**AN: Next chapter is now on my website...enjoy both of them!**

* * *

"My Lord, preliminary radar scans show – ugh!"

The bridge officer's life force faded into oblivion as his last breath was successfully squeezed out by a power beyond his comprehension.

In front of the lifeless corpse Admiral Piett stared with well contained fear at his superior officer, whilst Captain Venka had all but hidden himself behind the Navigation Officer.

However they were not Darth Vader's main concern right now. The Rebels had been alerted to their presence in time to come up with a cohesive attack plan. Hundreds of snub fighters were swarming towards the Executor and as Vader stood surveying the damage two more TIE Interceptors exploded into giant balls of fire and debris.

"Admiral, prepare your men for a full scale assault," commanded Vader. "Captain, prepare my ship for immediate combat."

They both nodded with rigid efficiency and Vader marched away, all of his previous optimism evaporating in the heat of aggression. However there was something far more important for him to attend to before he departed for the dog fight outside.

* * *

The door slide open for the second time that day to reveal the Dark Lord of the Sith looking as angry as any self respecting Sith should. Luke wasn't sure whether to be cheered or saddened.

_Are you my-my…_he couldn't say it, not even to himself but the past few hours had sent all his objections tumbling down into the drain. _Could it be true? Could Anakin Skywalker be just another lie, a myth made up to keep him in line?_

He didn't want to contemplate the possibilities. His headache was coming back again and he needed someone, _anyone_ to tell him what to believe in, to tell him what to do.

_I can't be…I'm nothing like Darth Vader_.

But Vader was not just the machine-man filled with hatred and evil Luke had once imagined him to be. He was so much more than that, he even had a twisted sense of humour.

_He cut off my hand…what kind of a father would do that?_

_Ah, but you were going to kill him in revenge, what kind of a son would do that?_

_Ben and Yoda wouldn't lie…_

_But they already have, Luke, they have lied and you know it to be true. You felt it in the force at Bespin that day but you didn't want to believe it, you refused to see the truth but now you can't bury your head in the sand any longer…_

_Shut up, I am not going to be bullied into depression by my subconscious!_ Snarled Luke and turned around to face Darth Vader, or perhaps his…father.

"I am your father and I am glad to see you have finally made some progress in accepting that fact," rumbled Vader "but we have more pressing matters to attend to."

"What's happening?" asked Luke happy to divert this conversation away from the one topic that made him so dizzy, "I saw TIE fighters outside."

"The Rebels have decided to attempt a foolish strike on this fleet. They will be exterminated and I suggest you do not attempt to aid them in -,"

Suddenly a sharp whirring alarm sounded throughout the quarters.

"Alert, all personnel, alert. Rebels have infiltrated deck 3B. I repeat Rebels have infiltrated deck 3B. One of them is carrying a lightsabre and appears to be capable of inhuman feats. All Inquisitors proceed to deck 3B, all Inquisitor proceed to deck 3B."

A jolt of pure adrenaline surged into Luke's veins and he felt his heart slamming into his chest. _Jedi? But who?_

Vader snapped around to look at Luke again as though trying to determine whether he could be trusted or not.

"I'm having you transferred to another Star Destroyer," stated Vader, "An Inquistor will along shortly. Do not attempt anything foolish or there will be dire consequences for both you and your Rebel friends."

The threat chilled the air but Luke was so used to Vader's dark presence that it did nothing other than make him little more wary.

"Alright," muttered Luke trying his best to look both innocent and afraid.

Perhaps it worked for Vader departed with his cloak flapping behind him like it had a mind of its own and Luke breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn't dared to think about the escape plan with Vader so close by but now as he felt the dark presence fading into the distance; Luke knew that his thoughts would be safe once Vader went into battle. Hopefully the Rebel pilots would be able to escape unharmed.

As he walked over to stare through the huge transpari-steel windows, Luke found himself wondering whether Rouge Squad was out there shooting down TIEs.

_I should be there with them…but never mind I'll be out of here soon enough. _

As if on cue the door comm beeped and a shadowy blue hologram of Ameesa Darys appeared.

Luke rushed over to her feeling excited and terrified all at once.

"May we come in, Mr Skywalker?" inquired Ameesa politely, "we have come to escort you to safety."

"We?" asked Luke trying to keep the nasty sense of surprise out of his voice.

_Another Inquisitor? How are we going to get rid of that?_

"Apprentice Tao and I have been assigned to be your body guards," replied Ameesa sounding as cool and detached as she had back in the training rooms.

From behind the flicking blue figure another shape emerge. A small thin boy who only reached Ameesa's elbow stared blankly back at him. He was wearing what looking like Jedi robes with a real lightsabre hanging from his utility belt

_Okay, great I guess we're going to have to beat up a little kid._

The door slide open of its own accord and Luke realised belatedly that the little introduction was a mere formality.

The real versions of the shadowy images stepped into the chamber and Luke was immediately assaulted by an ill disguised surge of hate through the force. It was coming from the little boy who was now glaring at him.

_Did I kill his father or something?_ thought Luke guiltily.

"Please will you put this coat on," said Ameesa calmly, "space will be cold,"

_Oh brother, she could have come up with a better excuse than that. In fact she could have come up with a better place to hide our equiptment._

"Very well," was all Luke could say under the harsh scrutinising glare of Tao.

They exited Vader's quarters without another word and Luke briefly wondered if he should cause a scene to make it seem more authentic but one look at the lightsabre dangling from Tao's belt made him decide otherwise. He may have only met the boy a few minutes ago but even Luke could feel the sinister hatred emanating from him like a bad smell.

They made good progress to the hangar bay with Tao trailing behind them like a shadow.

"Inquisitor Darys the shuttle is ready," said the stormtrooper guarding the door.

The shuttle was of standard Imperial issue complete with a standard Imperial pilot who looked as though he had just been briefed by Darth Vader himself, which might not have been far from the truth.

The poor man snapped a sharp salute as they entered and muttered an introduction that Luke couldn't hear. Immediately, the sweating officer departed for the cockpit and they were off – not quite heading for freedom but close enough.

* * *

The interior of the Devastator looked exactly like the Executor and if Luke hadn't just endured a bumpy landing in an Imperial Shuttle he would never have known they were on a different ship.

The same grey corridors were filled with rigid personnel who despite the battle outside did not display the faintest sign of nervousness. The same grey doors which looked as though they had been intended to camouflage the rooms were studded at regular intervals along the endless hallway.

There had been no one to greet them but Ameesa was already leading the trio briskly towards Luke's new quarters deep in the interior. Tao followed in their wake looking circumspectly around him as though he was expecting an ambush at any minute.

The door they eventually stopped at looked the same as the hundreds of others that they passed but Ameesa had evidently planned well in advance. As she stooped a little to enter the correct key code, Luke was inexplicably drawn to her slender figure and elegant hands.

_Snap out of it Skywalker,_ he said angrily to himself, _this is no time to start a romance._

The outer chamber looked exactly the same as the one on the Executor which Luke found rather unnerving. He half expected to see Jirr appear out of nowhere and surprise them.

However it was quite empty and the computer terminal sitting on the large desk was blank. There was a sense of disuse to the rooms as though no one had been here in quite some time.

"I'm going to get some rest," said Luke as he strode through to the inner chamber which was not surprisingly an exact replica of his prison on the Executor.

_But I'll be out of here soon…_the mere thought of escape sent a pleasant tingling sensation through his stomach.

Unfortunately to his unpleasant surprise he found that Tao had decided to follow him into the chamber.

"Um," said Luke unsure of whether he should be rude or not, "I would like some time alone."

The boy turned his intense blue eyes to regard Luke flatly but behind his façade Luke felt a sharp jolt through the force.

"I have my orders from Lord Vader to follow wherever you go," stated Tao impassively and continued to stare at Luke as though daring him to challenge his orders.

Luke was not about to have his only way to freedom blocked by a little boy who had yet to reach puberty. This was simply the most absurd situation he could envisage.

"I think he meant that you should wait outside, after all you can hardly follow me into the refresher," reasoned Luke trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. Something in the force told him that would only please the nasty child.

"I will do what I must," replied Tao without taking his eyes of Luke.

"Listen, kid," said Luke, "I appreciate what you're trying to do but this is a bit much, just go and wait outside. I'm not going to disappear into thin air and even if I was I doubt there'd much you could do about that."

The last remark really hit home and Tao almost snarled but he held back just in time.

"I'm not leaving,"

_Right this kid is more determined than I though he'd be. Why is Ameesa not helping out here? Perhaps another approach would be better…_

"Look, I can't sleep with you in the room; you don't want me to tell Darth Vader what a nuisance you've been because he won't be pleased."

Tao's cold eyes glimmer with suppressed rage.

"He won't believe you,"

"Oh I think he'll definitely take me word over yours," said Luke smugly, hoping that his threat was enough to make boy leave.

He could feel the weight of a small device, shaped like a thermos control, in the pocket of the coat Ameesa had given him and he was desperate to put their plan into action as soon as possible while Vader was still occupied. A sudden pang of terror swept through him, would Wedge, Wes and Hobbie make it out of this battle alive and what of the Rebels on the Executor who were killed trying to save him?

Suddenly he was aware that Tao was no longer staring at him but at the pocket of his coat.

"It's just a device to activate the thermo regulator of this coat," lied Luke and prayed that he was right.

Tao did not look convinced at all.

"Haven't you ever worn a suit?" asked Luke as he pressed a button on the device and to his intense relief a whirring sound came from his coat. "Now can you leave or I really will be having words about you with Vader."

Tao relented and stormed out of the room leaving Luke with a curious sense of foreboding.

_He's just a kid, doesn't matter what he suspects…_

Slumping onto his bed without taking off the coat, Luke stared to fiddle with the controls of the device but a thought abruptly came to him as though it was placed in his mind.

Looking up he saw the tiny camera situated in the top left corner of the room. The green light that meant it was recording had now turned red.

_Now that is a clever device, I thought I'd have to dismantle the outer casing or something complicated like that. _

Swiftly he took off his coat and withdrew to the refresher like they had planned. The toilet looked sturdy enough but on closer inspection Luke saw that the base had been cut from the floor so that he could now shift the basin aside without much effort.

A small round tunnel lined with waterproof grey tiles appeared in the floor and Luke breathed a sign of relief. Ameesa had clearly thought this plan out and their escape was not as impossible as it seemed.

"_Never tell me the odds!_" said Han's voice as a particularly painful memory resurfaced but Luke quickly pushed it away. Soon he would be out of here and on his way to rescue Han.

The tunnel didn't smell bad but was a tight squeeze and Luke slid slowly down into the dark depths of the ship. After a few minutes he smelt rather than saw the trash compactor beneath him. The waft of decaying sewage mixed with rusting metal and stars knows what else, nearly caused him to gag but there was nothing he could do to stop his eventually fall into the slimy depth.

_Okay now all I have to do is to remove the tracking device in my underwear and then get out of here._

The "very visible" hatch was situated just ahead of him, partially concealed by a piece of broken machinery.

"_Climb out and disable any droids that are there with your force powers,"_ Ameesa had said, but as Luke stared at his escape route he was beginning to doubt he really had to powers to break down a dozen or so droids even if they weren't armed.

Hesitantly he reached down to unbutton his olive green trousers and peered down at the water proof underwear. There, near the left seam was a thin piece of circuitry sewn into the material. Carefully, Luke ripped the circuitry away feeling the sudden sense of freedom cloud his senses.

_Right, I can do this all I have to do is focus on the force,_ thought Luke trying to assure himself.

The hatch was not locked, probably because no Imperial had thought that anyone would be stupid enough to climb into the trash compactor. As the rusting door creaked open Luke peered hesitantly into the corridor, half expecting to see killer droids with multiple blasters ready to pulverise him.

Anticlimactically hallway was dim and deserted, a few unassuming mouse droids rolled by as though he was not there. The weak lights flickered lazily overhead and the metal panelling was badly in need of repair. Luke's hurried footsteps were well muffle by his Jedi training and soon he emerged undisturbed into a dark control chamber. Through the waning lights from the corridor he could just make out the outlines of hundreds of giant computer terminals covered in white cloth. The thick layer of dust coating everything clearly indicated that no one had ever used this facility since it was first built.

_What a waste of money_, thought Luke as he ventured further into the gloom. There did not seem to be a way out of the room apart from turning back to the trash compactor. In the thick silence he could almost hear the slimy droplets of stinking liquid dribbling all over the floor from his soaked clothing.

_Well Ameesa never mentioned how to get out of here…and where are those security droids she was talked about?_

Suddenly, as though his mere thought had triggered a bad respond, the lights blinked to life flooding the entire room with blinding white light. Luke gasped in astonishment and tired to shield his eyes from the glare but just to his right a whole platoon of stormtroopers burst forth from behind the terminals accompanied by a gloating Tao.

"You thought you could get away," he said with childish glee before the troopers were even within shooting distance, but Luke could see there was no escape and the blasters were all set to stun. "I got you now, Luke Skywalker."

If Han was here he would have at least ten suitably cutting remarks to make but Luke could only stare helplessly in despair at the surrounding stormtroopers. His road to freedom had been brutally cut short.

The hate blossomed on Tao's features mixing with malice and sadistic glee.

"You won't be going anywhere anymore," he continued, his black eyes glinting spitefully, "Lord Vader hasn't been informed of your absence yet but-,"

"You're going to hand me to him like a sacrificial goat so you can get that pat on the head you so desperately want," said Luke sarcastically.

"No," spat Tao and stepped towards Luke as though to intimidate but it was a futile gesture for Luke was at least two heads taller than the skinny youth. "You've caused enough trouble already. I'm going to finish you once and for all."

That surprised Luke. Could this boy be willing to risk Darth Vader's wrath just to get rid of him? Perhaps, after all, hate was a very powerful emotion.

"If you kill me, which I highly doubt you can, I'm sure Vader will have something to say about that."

Luke was only buying time and he knew it. The force was already swirling like sandstorm around them both and from within its reaches Luke could feel the determination behind the boy's words. Tao was going to kill him…Tao had planned it from the start.

"Pity, but I won't be held responsible. You will be killed while trying to escape and that will not be my fault. I've disabled all the surveillance cameras and you're trapped. Ameesa Darys is going to be exposed as the traitor she is and I'm going to enjoy watching her die,"

A hot flash of rage ripped through Luke so suddenly that he almost lashed out at the troopers.

_No, not Ameesa, she risked everything for me and I am not going to let her die!_

Then he felt it in the force. A pathway appeared before him as clearly as if it had been illuminated by all the lights in the room.

Tao's ligthsabre was dangling loosely from his belt and the troopers were too transfixed by the on going argument to react in his defence. With the force gushing through him and the raw power pumping in his muscles, Luke knew instinctively that he could do it. There was not try, there was only do.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he stretched out his hand towards the lightsabre and it flew into his hand before Tao could even register its loss. Luke swirled round in a flash of movement slicing through the first trooper and impaling the second before they even lifted their blasters to aim. Three others quickly followed before any stun bolts were fired in his direction.

There was only five more left, clustered around Tao looking every bit as frightened as the boy.

"Do something!" he shrieked with rage, "Shoot him, kill him!"

Red streaks of light flew in his direction but Luke was at one with the force and he batted away the bolts as though they were children's balls. Two troopers were hit and they slumped to the ground around Tao causing him to shriek in alarm. Suddenly Luke felt that same murderous urge that had plagued him on Bespin rise through him like a tidal wave. He wanted to kill them all and slowly…he wanted revenge for their threats against Ameesa.

With one mighty leap he closed the distance between them and the monster inside him roared with excitement, burning rage fuelling its cries until the noise burst forth through Luke's mouth and echoed around the room. Unparalleled sadistic glee welled up as he watched Tao and the three remaining troopers back against a terminal. Fear bled through the force and its delightful aroma caused the monster to snarl in appreciation.

_Let's take this slowly shall we, no one will be hurting our precious Ameesa, no one! _The voice in his mind merged with the monster in his body to make one huge entity fuelled with rage and Luke was powerless to resist.

Two strokes of his lightsabre later the blasters were nothing but a pile of oozing black slime blotted on the floor.

_Now for our fun, we deserve it…_

He stepped forwards and cleaved the left arm from the nearest trooper who howled in agony but Luke no longer cared if anyone could hear them. The pain and anguish was making his skin pop with excitement and his stomach tighten with anticipation.

Methodically he mutilated the others until they were nothing but piles of singed flesh and armour upon the floor. Perhaps they were still alive but he didn't care anymore. There was only one thing left on his mind, Tao.

The boy was backing away as pathetic tears welled up in his eyes.

_Please don't kill me, please! _Luke could almost hear the sweet begging now and the monster panted with delight. This was going to be fun, fun, fun…

_**Luke stop!**_

A great booming voice echoed in his head as though someone had pressed a loud speaker to his ear.

_**Stop, stop before you fall to the dark side**_

At the sound of those words the monster howled in frustration and ran as though banished by some protective charm. The rage subsided as quickly as it had come and the nasty little voice was squashed by Luke's conscience.

_What have I done?_

_**You have touched the dark side, Luke. You touched it on Bespin and you touched it now…**_

Ben Kenobi's voice drift eerily through his mind as though speaking from a great distance.

_**You must be wary of your thoughts and emotions, Luke. The path to the dark side is easy and fast. **_

_Did I just mutilate those people? _He felt sick, physically sick. White spots danced before him eyes so that he could no longer see Tao at all.

_**You must be mindful of your feelings, my young apprentice, or you will end up like your father.**_

_I'm not – I'm not a monster, I'm a-a-good person._ He was beyond justification even by the side of his personality where all his pride was harboured.

_**No one is born a monster, Luke. We know who we are but not what we might become.**_

The voice fade into the distance as though Ben was been pulled away by forces unknown and yet his words continued to echo through Luke's hollow mind until he felt sure that he would never be free of those frightening words

Slowly his vision cleared and he regained control of his shaking limbs. Tao had disappeared and now he was left in the empty room on the empty road to freedom even though freedom had turned sour.

He allowed his legs to carry him forwards as his mind had become detached from the mortal plane. Suddenly Ameesa was rushing towards him in her Inquisitorius finery, her face a picture of worry.

"Luke, did you disarm the droid?" she asked in a whisper even though there were no cameras or prying eyes to catch them here.

"There were no droids," he said bluntly, "I just dismembered a platoon of stormtroopers and nearly killed a little boy,"

Ameesa gasped in horror but it was not directed at his actions but at the thought of discovery.

"You let Tao get away with the information. We're done for."

Luke couldn't muster the energy to care anymore but something stirred deep within him, the passionate desire to protect his friend. Ameesa Darys had put her life on the line to save him and now they would both die.

"I couldn't kill him," Luke explained in a choked voice, "I would have turned to the dark side – I think I already have."

A sudden flash of compassion crossed Ameesa's features so fast Luke almost missed it and her next words were warm and comforting.

"Luke, we have to go now. What is done is done. There is no one in our way anymore, the plan still stands."

"Yes," he muttered, "the plan."

Together they jogged towards the hangar bays in tense silence.

The hangar was nearly deserted and the huge place seemed ten times bigger without the neatly packed rows of white fighters. The vastness was unnerving but the silence was welcome.

One battered looking shuttle lay limply to one side looking as though it would be worth a few credits as scrap but nothing more. A sole engineer was sourly scrubbing the exterior with his cleaning kit but otherwise he had done nothing else to improve the condition of the craft.

"The craft is all set," he muttered and packed up the grey sponges he had been using with a dour expression. The Millennium Falcon was probably in a better flight condition after its tiffle with the Death Star than this empty hull of a shuttle but Luke simply stood behind Ameesa trying to look like a downtrodden rebel prisoner. The engineer just sneered and left without a backwards glance leaving Luke wondering idly if Vader would even bother to choke this pathetic character to death when he found everything out.

"Get on board," snapped Ameesa, brandishing her lightsabre at his head. It was a coarse and blunt gesture but so was the engineer they were trying to fool.

The interior was tidy and dull and the furnishings worn with years of use but at least they were not knee deep in galactic fast food wrappers and pieces of old smuggling crates. There was even a minibar beside the main seating area with a tiny bottle of Imperial Issue whiskey, which Luke had half a mind to take with him as a twisted sort of souvenir.

"Stay here, I will pilot," said Ameesa loudly even though they could both sense that the engineer had retired to his rec-room.

She disappeared into the cockpit and soon they had taken off with an unhealthy grating noise. Once he was sure they were out of the hangar, Luke hurried to her, hoping to see the battle.

"You can't help them," said Ameesa pre-empting his suggestion. Outside in the darkness of space, five giant Star Destroys were visible surrounded by hundreds of tiny snub fighters both Rebel and Imperial.

Every now and then small balls of fire would erupt signalling the abrupt end to another life.

"We have to, I'm a pilot," insisted Luke fervently.

"Luke, you are so much more useful to the Rebellion alive. If you try to take on the TIEs in this old wreck we will both be doomed no matter how good you are."

That was enough to end the discussion, he may have been heroically suicidal but to drag Ameesa with him would be so much more than selfish.

The battle was raging far away from them, confined to the top left of the main fleet. The Rebel Cruisers had yet to make an appearance and Luke knew instinctively that it was going to be a long drawn out battle of attrition, one that the Rebellion was bound to suffer in. At least there might be time for him to get back to base and then pilot his X-wing into the fray…

A horrible thought seized him, he might end up dog fighting Vader as he had done three years ago but that was hardly a dog fight…

_Can I shoot down my own father? Can I?_

_He is not my father! Ben, Yoda, everyone said –,_

_But didn't Ben just say "__**You must be mindful of your feelings, my young apprentice, or you will end up like your father.**__"_

_You're confused, you heard him wrong!_

_If Ben said so…if he admitted…_

_He didn't admit anything, __**you – were – hallucinating!**_

Ameesa was looking at him strangely as she guided the shuttle in the general direction of the Executor as a preliminary diversion.

"Are you alright? You look like you've got a demon or two camped out inside your head,"

"I'm fine," muttered Luke feeling embarrassed, "I'm just thinking,"

"About what?" demanded Ameesa as though it was important to the mission that she was informed.

"About…Vader,"

"Oh, the whole 'is he my father?' dilemma." It wasn't a question though Luke knew he wouldn't feel any better about it if it was.

"How did you know?" he asked already dreading the answer.

"Vader announced it -,"

"To the whole ship?" demanded Luke hoping that the damage was not as bad as he had previously thought.

"Well," Ameesa seemed reluctant to answer, "The Inquisitorius was informed before the general announcement was made, and some knew before others…Vader has some trusted agents like Tremayne who are the first to know of everything. I had to give him a bribe or two to get the information but if it means anything he didn't believe that you were Vader's son…and obviously neither do I because if I did I would hardly be eloping with you."

Luke let out a reluctant laugh but deep inside him a feeling of warmth curved inside him stomach…elope,_ now that was an unusual word._

"I see, but the rest of the ship…I met a doctor, a Captain and a Governor who had heard about – you know what."

"Oh," Ameesa paused as though she was at a loss for words, "Vader did tell some of the senior staff – well – most of the senior staff, a few days ago."

"Why would he do that?"

"Do what?" asked Ameesa as she eyed the status bars on the control panel. They had just about enough fuel to land at the base, if they didn't take any detours.

"Tell everyone that blatant lie."

Now that Luke was calmer and more logical, he could see that such an announcement would mostly likely backfire on Darth Vader. Scepticism and conspiracy theories would circulate endlessly about this turn of events. Vader's infamous reputation was not going to protect him from serious speculation. Surely, it would be a blow to his standing for him to admit that his own son was an important Rebel. No logical minded man would follow through with this course of action…unless he wanted to inform the galaxy of the truth.

"I think it was more of a publicity stunt than anything else. He planned to introduce you to the whole ship and by extension the rest of the empire. His main aim was to discredit you in eyes of the Rebellion. If the accusation was taken to be true it would mean that you would have no where to go but back to him."

Luke tense with apprehension, _what if someone did believe it was true? Were they in more danger from the Rebellion?_

"Will the Rebellion have heard of it by now?"

"I think so, they have agents on the inside and the officers are bound to talk endlessly about it." she paused again, something that Luke was getting used, and fiddled unnecessarily with the controls. "Listen, no one in their right minds is going to believe that you are the son of Darth Vader. From I've heard, many of the Rebels think he's some sort of super droid being remotely controlled by the Emperor. We'll be fine."

Luke felt it was meaningless to point out to Ameesa that he was not the one who was that worried. However the battle outside was changing course swiftly and from the radar it looked as though they would be caught in the midst of it if they followed their current vector. With confidence, Ameesa swerved the rattled old craft to away from the fleet as though to avoid a stray TIE fighter heading in their direction with two X-wing hot in pursuit.

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Luke strapping himself into a seat. The shuttle did not require a co-pilot and its designers had made no arrangements for one. All the controls were clustered messily in the centre of the dashboard, easily within reach of the pilot and yet far from any prying hands.

Suddenly a swarm of Rebel Y-Wings appeared to their left several kilometres away. It was only seconds before the leader had spotted their flimsy craft and decided it was fair game.

"What frequency do the Y-Wings communicate on?"

Ameesa was calm as though she had seen this coming and had made suitable accommodation for any Rebel attacks.

"1200-1600 ms," said Luke automatically as he was too focused on the wedge formation of green fighters streaking in their direction. "I think its Grey group, they'll know me."

"Everyone knows you," quipped Ameesa and Luke tried not to blush.

"Grey leader, this is Commander Luke Skywalker. I have escaped from Imperial custody and demand protection to get back to base. I repeat this is Commander Luke-,"

"Oh stars!" the comm crackled with excited and disbelieving voices. "It can't be!"

"It is guys," said Luke grimly. "I need help, I have a fellow escapee with me and we need you to cover us for a landing at the base."

"What's the watch word?" demanded the leader haughtily.

"_Sceptre_, last time I checked but its probably out of date by now."

There was a long unearthly silence across the commlink and beside him Ameesa was beginning to sweat.

"Thank goodness you're safe," said Grey leader eventually though the scepticism had not entirely left his voice. He was, as Luke remember, a portly fellow with a wandering eye and far too cynical but he was at least a competent commander.

"Welcome back, Commander," added another pilot who sounded sincere enough.

"Form up around me in delta formation."

Hopefully Grey squad were willing to take his lead but the leader did not seem like someone who easily relinquished his command. Surprisingly _Portly_, the leader, grumbled a repeat of his orders and the Y-Wings hastily flew into formation, though the manoeuvres could have been more polished.

In the distance more TIEs were streaming form the hulls of the gigantic Star Destroyers like swarms of white pests just waiting to devour a season of crops. X-Wings, B-Wings and A-Wings met them head on with audacious moves.

"Right back to base," ordered Luke and they flew away from the fray towards the small green planet ahead.

Suddenly, unseen by everyone, a single TIE Advanced veered into their course with an agility that Luke had never seen before. Something was horribly wrong.

"Um, Luke…do you know what that is?"

The TIE was looming closer in their view port. He had seen it before, years ago. It was Darth Vader's TIE.

_Father!_ Cried Luke before he could even hold back his turbulent feelings. _No! You're not my father._

_**Son, are you safe?**_ Vader's voice echoed in his mind and his presence erupted through their bond which Luke found had been intentionally muffled.

_You'll have to shoot us down, Vader, I'll never surrender._

Ameesa was staring at him as though she was straining to hear their conversation. Luke almost wished she could so that he would have someone to protect him against the manipulations of the Dark Lord.

_**Son, do not be foolish. Ameesa Darys is going to assassinate you.**_

No hint of truth presented itself in the force but no hint of a lie appeared either. It was as though the statement had landed in a grey area ungoverned by either truth or falsehood. For a second Luke didn't know who to believe until he caught sight of Ameesa's face and all his doubts melted away.

_Go away,_ with a resolve that surprised even himself, Luke raised his mental shields like Yoda had briefly taught him back on Dagobah.

Pure, unrestrained rage poured through their diminishing bond as Vader snarled,

_**You would betray me for a woman who is about to kill you!**_

_You're a monster, what do you think?_ Snapped Luke feeling all of Darth Vader's rage pounding against his shields. _I can't be like you, ever!_

Suddenly bitterness and black hatred erupted like a supernova and knocked down Luke's flimsy defences. Pain, emotional and physical assaulted his senses as he felt himself blacking out. The last thing he heard as Vader's cold voice filled with loathing.

_**So, you are just like your mother…**_

Somewhere in the distance Luke was vaguely aware of Ameesa screaming his name but he couldn't move. Vader's mental assault had drained all his energy and even as he lay prone on the floor he could feel the life draining out of his body as quickly as water in the desert sand.

How long he lay there he didn't know but the ship rocked against a barrage of determined fire and the blaring sound of alarms filled the cockpit.

_So this is how my life is going end,_ Luke could feel the suffocating coldness of fear cover his heart. _It will be alright, I will see everyone I love again,_ he thought, _Ben, Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, Biggs …Anakin and my mother…I never even knew her name._

Slowly as though it was all just the foggy wisps of a dream a face began to form in his mind's eye. A sad, nostalgic smile graced the delicate features. Warm brown eyes were gazing into his own as though she was waiting to welcome him home. Hands reached out towards him…

_Look at your son, Ani, look at him…isn't he beautiful…_

The howl of sheer overwhelming pain cut through the image and blew it away as if it was just vapour caught by the wind.

_**No! Padme!**_

And this time Luke lost all consciousness.

* * *

**AN: **Hope you liked it, by far the longest chapter yet. More plot twists to come as Luke gets a certain transmission...**Please Review or this might end up turning into a hopeless romance story (God forbid).**


	17. Coincidences

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 16. Coincidences

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Review Thanks: DarthGladiator45, Balance in the Dark, ILDV, SherazadeVader, VFSNAKE, twisterblake, Spellcaster Hikaru, Tempest-in-Blue, nana lee, **

**AN: Big thanks to my beta reader MGLM any mistakes remaining are definitely mine. **

* * *

"Princess, the Imperials are retreating!" cried Jun Mahoney as he ran into the command centre panting like a hunted rabbit. "They're retreating back to their ships! Our long range radars outside have confirmed it!" 

"What?" said Leia hardly daring to believe it.

"Yes, Princess, our internal radar images confirm it too," said another technician sitting at his computer sounding just as out of breath.

"Why?" Her sheer astonishment prevented her from uttering anything other than monosyllabic words.

"I don't know," said General Rieekan looking jut as surprised. "It could be a trap. Order all our fighter units to defend only and not to chase any enemy craft. Withdraw our larger cruisers behind the firing line."

"Yes, sir," said a third technician and proceeded to repeat the General's commands into his commlink.

"What do you think this is all about?" asked Leia still bewildered and wary. "Why would they just retreat like that?"

"Princess, General, there is an unauthorised Imperial shuttle seeking to penetrate our air space," stated a communications officer on the other side of the room.

"Well?" asked Rieekan clearly wishing to know why the said shuttle was still in existence.

"We haven't targeted it, sir, because the pilot claims that she has Commander Luke Skywalker on board and that she rescued him from Imperial custody."

Leia had to restrain herself from dashing over to the consol and shoving the officer aside to talk to this "saviour" herself.

"Who is this woman?" demanded Rieekan keeping all traces of excitement and surprise from his voice.

"She calls herself Ameesa Darys, sir, and she freely admits that she is part of the Inquisitorius Division of Imperial Intelligence. She says she wishes to join the rebellion and saving Luke Skywalker was part of her introduction."

"Let me talk to her."

Leia managed to choke out the last few words before her desire overwhelmed her control and gripped the officer's commlink with both hands.

"This is Princess Leia, let me talk to Luke Skywalker," she demanded trying to keep her trembling voice as steady as possible.

"Princess Leia, Luke is currently unconscious and he needs medical attentions please let me land immediately."

The voice was desperate in its urgency and Leia felt her instincts confirm the truth behind those words.

"Permission granted," stated Leia before she had time to reconsider and switched off the commlink.

"She could be lying," snapped Rieekan, his face contorted with fear, "The Inquisitorius -,"

"She wasn't lying, I can feel it," said Leia decisively.

* * *

The Imperial shuttle looked as if it had been a wreck before the battle had even began and as it landed doggedly on Platform 4, Leia had to admire the pilot's sheer audacity. The hull and port side were scarred so badly that all of the white paint had been blasted away leaving a patchwork of smoking black and dented grey surfaces. The view port was scratched beyond repair and it was now impossible to tell who or even what had been piloting the craft.

The boarding ramp only lowered half way down before the tension cables snapped and whole ramp detached from the ship with a thud. It was only then that the tall strong figure of a woman emerged alone from the wreckage.

"Where's Luke?" asked Leia not even bothering to keep the desperation from her voice. The landing party of twenty Special Forces personnel that had massed behind her raised their blasters in anticipation of trouble.

"He's inside, I'm carrying him out now," replied Ameesa Dary sounding calm and professional as she swept her gaze across the landing party taking note of all their weaponry.

She reappeared after a tense moment supporting a limp body clothed in a dirty Imperial uniform, Luke.

"Oh my -," Leia rushed forwards to catch him but then realised it would only create an absurd situation as the duo had a four feet drop from the door of the shuttle.

Special Forces tactfully stepped in to retrieve the unconscious Luke and flipped him onto a medical stretcher that Leia had not even been aware was here.

He was an unhealthy shade of grey that made the bruising on his forehead all the more apparent but apart from that there were no other visible injuries, though the uniform hid a lot. He looked so young and vulnerable lying on the stretcher and Leia felt a pain she had long since forgotten blossoming in her chest. _What did they put you through?_

Vaguely she heard the commanding officer talking about taking him to the Medical bay and without warning Luke was borne away before she could even touch him.

The absence of marching feet left a cold silence behind in the docking area and the remaining Special Forces personnel were warily eyeing Ameesa Darys as though she might spontaneous explode.

"So, you must be Princess Leia, I've heard much about you," she said neutrally. "I'm Ameesa Darys, former member of the Inquisitorius,"

"Yes, I know," said Leia a little too briskly but her mind was still on the helpless figure of Luke.

"I understand it is a lot to ask but I would like to join the Rebellion."

Leia simply stared back at this woman wondering whether she had comforted Luke in his moments of pain and whether it had done any good.

"I feel that I have much to offer your organisation in the way of intelligence and skill. I am well trained in the ways of the force having once been a Jedi Knight."

The collective intake of breath was so loud that it sounded like a gas valve had started to leak. That last statement shocked everyone but after a moment Leia regained her balance.

"I see, I was unaware that any Jedi managed to survive the purge."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi did and got away with it but you probably knew him as Ben Kenobi. He was the one that trained Luke. The rest of the Jedi who did survive are either in captivity being experimented on or acting out the Emperor's will."

Leia tried to hide the fact that she had not guessed Ameesa Darys would know about old Ben Kenobi or his involvement with Luke but it stood to reason that Darth Vader would gloat about such things to his cronies.

"And I suppose you fall in the latter group," she replied coolly whilst the Special Forces division trailed their stun guns at Ameesa who had still not stepped down from her vantage point on the ship.

Apart from the lightsabre on her belt, Special Forces had found that she was unarmed but Leia had seen first hand what a single lightsabre in the wrong hands could do. Taking a moment to study the woman in front of her, Leia concluded that she was definitely dangerous, perhaps very difficult to handle. Her short curly hair which framed an ordinary but well balance face, served to make her look much less threatening than her title would suggest. There was shrewd calculation in the blue eyes but still a sense of righteousness could still be seen. Her situation certainly made her untrustworthy but there were so many factors coming into play that Leia could not pass judgement.

"Yes I do, I had to do what I could to survive but now Luke has given me that chance to finally strike back at the Empire."

She sounded sincere enough but so did all the other spies they had taken in. Besides it was not up to Leia to decide whether Ameesa Darys was trustworthy, a lengthy interrogation would do that.

"I have to escort you to the quarantine zone," stated Leia hoping that the woman would co-operate. She did.

* * *

When Luke woke up it was to smell of freshly cook breakfast and the sight of a dozen get well cards made from scrap paper but the most intriguing thing was the pile of wrapped presents waiting for him at the foot of the bed. 

_Wow, they must think I'm some kind of hero…_

"Oh, sir you're awake! You've been out for quite some time, two days to be exact."

"3PO!" cried Luke unable to keep the joy of seeing a familiar face again after all this time.

"Master Luke, I am so glad you're back with us. R2 and I were getting quite worried but I assured him that you can survive anything. Would you like me to clear away all this ugly mess while you eat your breakfast?"

"No 3PO those are from the Rogues," said Luke unable to hold back his laughter. "How have you been, 3PO?"

"Very well, Master Luke but it has been awfully dangerous here with the Black Sun running around and the Imperials attacking us. Oh, heavens, I have no idea how we've managed to come through relatively unscathed."

"What happen to the Imperial attack?" demanded Luke suddenly all too aware of the memories that he had almost forgotten.

"Well apparently the Imperials ordered a partial retreat just before you landed. That was two days ago though and they have since besieged our planet."

3PO, ever the optimist, continued along the vane of imminent destruction, death and disgrace which Luke thoughtfully blocked out.

_So the Imperials retreated? Surely we couldn't have hit them that hard…could it have been something to with Vader? I felt his pain just before I passed out, perhaps he was hit, and perhaps the Imperials withdrew because Vader was injured…or possibly dead._

"Master Luke, are you listening?" queried 3PO as he placed a loaded tray of goodies on the bed. "I was just saying that a very strange woman arrived with you, someone called Ameesa Darys. R2 says she is an Imperial spy and I personally am inclined to agree. I do hope she didn't hurt you on the way here."

"Ameesa's not a spy," snapped Luke so tensely that even 3PO noticed the change in his mood and wisely abandoned the subject.

"Well, everyone at the base is so excited to see you. Princess Leia is going to give you an official welcome back ceremony as soon as you are up and about. Personally I think it's all a bit much, you really do need your rest."

Normally 3PO's constant but reassuring fussiness would have bought warm memories to mind but Luke's mind was far too preoccupied by a particularly woman.

"Where is Ameesa being kept?" he demanded as 3PO paused to pour him some tea.

"I have no idea, Master Luke, I have to say I have very little interest in such matters but I'm sure I can find out for you-,"

But at that moment R2 came careering into the room with a flurry of excited beeps.

"R2!" cried Luke unable to keep the smile off his face.

"Master Luke is resting, R2. Go away and do something productive."

R2 made a rude noise in response and then launched into a long and detailed series of whistles and beeps that Luke couldn't understand.

"Master Luke, R2 apparently knows where Ameesa Darys is being held – now why would you think Master Luke wants to know such things?" demanded 3PO having only just realised that R2 had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Doesn't matter 3PO, where is she and how can I see her?"

"Well R2 apparently found out through the main computer that she's currently in detention block B, cell 45 and you can't visit her, Master Luke, you haven't recovered yet."

"I'll be fine 3PO, now get me some clothes," snapped Luke as he pushed his breakfast tray away.

"But aren't you going to eat anything?" asked 3PO as he reluctantly handed Luke a jumpsuit. "Surely that's not good for your -,"

"Shut up 3PO and don't tell Leia or anyone where I'm going because they'll just object."

With great haste, Luke pulled on the jumpsuit and ran down to detention block B.

* * *

Rebel prisons were, on the whole, larger and more airy than their Imperial counterparts despite the lack of resources. Ameesa's cell was fairly typical, with its own washing facilities and toilet cubicle. Two beds were pushed up against opposite walls but she was currently in solitary confinement. 

"Hey," whispered Luke as he pulled back the sliding window so he could talk to her. The guard had been so excited to meet him that he happily complied with everything Luke asked. Apparently his stint as an Imperial prisoner had only increased his hero status.

Ameesa rose from her bed with poise and grace as though she was greeting him at a formal reception instead of through a barred window.

"Hello, fly boy, glad to see you're up and running again."

"I'm alright, how have you been treated?"

"Very well actually," replied Ameesa with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "though the cuisine has much to be desired."

"I'll get you out of here," said Luke earnestly, "I'll talk to Leia right now and get you freed. You risked your life for me and I-,"

"Okay, there's not need for the whole hero worship thing," muttered Ameesa looking vaguely embarrassed. "I helped you to help myself. I'd never be allowed into the Rebellion without you."

Luke simply smiled and decided not to remind Ameesa that their relationship had gone beyond just a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"Sure, just hang in there and try not to take the cooking too personally, we all get fed the same thing."

This time Ameesa gave a genuine laugh.

"You're sweet, you know that?"

For a moment Luke felt his tongue go numb at the words and little pops of ecstasy erupted under his skin.

"I –I –I…thanks, um – I'll go talk to Leia now."

And he almost ran from the detention block with his face burning and his heart swelling with a thousand new emotions.

* * *

Leia was surprisingly pliable considering the circumstances. She was inherently suspicious of the strange (and good looking) woman who had rescued Luke against all the odds and just happened to be a Jedi turned Imperial Inquisitor but she heard him out. 

"I really don't think the council will be able to release Ameesa so soon. I mean she's only been here for two days."

"Yes but Leia she saved my life, what is she going to think about the Rebellion if we leave her languishing in some cell?"

"She'll understand that we have to take precautions," said Leia sounding just a tiny bit exasperated, "If we didn't lock her up she would probably see us as an unorganised bunch who don't know what we're doing."

"But -," Luke found himself running out of reasons so to cover up the weakness he leaned against the wall and stared back at Leia hoping that she would see how important this was to him. "Look Leia, Ameesa knows stuff, classified information that would take our spies years to unearth."

"What do you mean?" asked Leia as her face twisted with an expression of foreboding.

"I mean she knows so much about all the Empire's top secret files, like-like-,"

He couldn't say it without feeling the guilty sense of embarrassment that always accompanied his quest for answers about his family but he knew Leia could understand.

"- The Jedi Files?" prompted Leia coolly, "Well, Luke I do have some good news for you, we won't need Ameesa Darys to access those files."

"What?" Luke took completely taken aback at the cool and secretive smile.

"Well, we made a deal with the Black Sun," she continued as though they were having a conversation about farm life on Tatooine, "and as a gift, Prince Xizor presented us a free copy of the Jedi Files. That's how we've been able to verify that Ameesa Darys was indeed a Jedi and an Inquisitor."

Luke shuffled and gasped like a lost bantha cub, but even as he tried to come to terms with the Leia's dangerous deals, he could feel the euphoria welling up inside. The endless possibilities the files would bring sent shivers of pure delight running down his spine. He would be able to find out everything about his father and Obi Wan and all the other Jedi he had never been able to meet…Then a stab of horrible uncertainty hit him. Was Anakin Skywalker, really his father? Or had he simply been an invention of some sort? There was only one way to find out…

"Luke?" Leia's crisp voice pulled him out of his fantasies. "Do you want to see them now?"

He nearly pounced at the invitation but then his mind turned to Ameesa Darys lying alone in her cramped cell waiting for him to free her.

"I can't, I promised to free Ameesa,"

"Well, there's nothing to be done right now," said Leia with her usual patience, which Luke had learnt was only skin deep, "I shall push our case at the council meeting tomorrow and without boasting too much, I think I might just be successful."

Of course, Luke could never quite tell with Leia, when she was serious and when she was simply saying something to make him feel better, but this time his instincts were quite optimistic.

"Okay -, I suppose I'll take a look at those files," replied Luke trying to keep the breathless quality from his voice.

* * *

The information store room was nothing more than a cleaning closet with a three outdated Imperial terminals stacked next to each other like shipping cargo. There was barely room for the two of them and a worried C3PO, who had finally managed to track Luke down. 

"I must protest, Master Luke," the golden droid was saying as Leia typed in her security clearance, "the medical droid told you to say in bed -,"

"Shut up 3PO," said Luke dismissively, "we're on the verge of a great discovery,"

"About your father, Master Luke?" inquired C3PO, "R2 and I were just discussing him after they bought in the supposed Jedi, apparently R2 has developed a very nasty short circuit giving him delusions of grandeur."

Luke and Leia humphed in unison as they were both accustomed to 3PO's mind numbing chatter.

"Well," continued the droid having taken their indifference as a sign of interest, "R2 claims that he knew your father better than anybody and went on countless missions with him."

That piece of information made both humans turn from the glowing computer screen in astonishment.

"He said what?" demanded Luke in astonishment, "You must be joking, he knew about my father for all these years and he didn't say a thing! That's impossible."

"Well, I'm quite sure there's something wrong with him, Master Luke," repeated 3PO faithfully. "A short circuit or a jammed -,"

"Wait," snapped Leia hastily, "That doesn't sound that far fetched."

Both Luke and C3PO graced her with incredulous looks, though C3PO's expression did not change.

"I must admit I was just as intrigued by Anakin Skywalker, as you," she muttered a little guiltily as though she had trespassed into Luke's personal journal. "I was browsing through some pictures of him and I saw this,"

Suddenly, as though a tight band that was constricting his heart had been cut, Luke breathed a sigh of relief.

"So he's real then," muttered Luke

"What?" asked Leia looking astonished at his outburst, "of course he's real; anyone who lived through the Clone Wars remembers Skywalker and Kenobi. They were great heroes."

_Perhaps, perhaps,_ cried a little voice in his head, _perhaps he is your father, perhaps Vader has only been lying to you!_

With a few taps on the keyboard a fuzzy and corrupt image came onto the screen. It showed a tall Jedi striding away from the camera followed by a blurry blue and white shape that could just be an astromech droid. However the shape was half hidden behind a yellow Interceptor so it was almost impossible to say for certain what it was.

"Sorry, the data on Anakin Skywalker had an extra layer of protection on it and it took our techs several days to break through but some of the self destructive program had already managed to get to work by then."

Emotion overcame Luke as he stared long and hard at the retreating back of the man who _had to be_ his father. He was sure he could feel their connection even through the blurry image of the computer screen.

"Well, he was a great hero," muttered Luke and instantly regretted it as he blushed scarlet.

"Yes, he is," said Leia softly, "and you know he is watching over you right now, telling you how proud he is."

Luke turned away from her lest she saw the wetness glistening in his eyes and for a moment they simply stood there in silence, whilst 3PO looked between them trying to figure out this curious human behaviour.

"Anyway," continued Luke loudly, "It's impossible to tell whether that is an astromech droid but it's certainly the right colour and R2 is very old, pre-Clone Wars."

"Yes, but, Master Luke you have to understand the chances of -,"

"I believe in fate, Master Yoda told me that there are no such things as coincidences."

"Well, after we've read Anakin's file we can interrogate your astromech droid," said Leia lightly as she pulled up Anakin Skywalker's official file.

There was little resemblance between them, Luke was sad to note. Anakin's hair was much darker and his face had noble and sculptured feel about it that his floppy expressions lacked. Anakin was also much taller than he was according to the personal data stored on the file.

As he scrolled down the file, he couldn't help noticing that all information about Anakin's extended family was missing. There was no mention of a wife or even a parent, which he must have had.

"Where's all the stuff about -,"

He was about to say _my mother_ but he stopped himself; if Leia had already read through the file and had not mentioned anything to him at their first meeting, there was nothing in there about Anakin's family.

"I'm didn't find anything about Anakin's family," muttered Leia as she stepped discretely from the terminal to allow Luke some room to contain his disappointment. "There were other files that did name certain relatives, perhaps as means to blackmail the subjects," she added with distain, "but it seems that if –that if - Anakin did have any kin someone wiped their names off the records."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter," whispered Luke hoarsely. He had been hoping there would be something about Anakin's wife and parents. Something concrete that he could investigate; something that could prove without doubt they were related; something like a DNA test on a living relative…

Luke read on in silence as Leia stood scrutinising his expressions when she thought he was too absorbed in the text to notice her. As mission after successful mission flew past Luke's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness. He had always wanted his father to be a hero but as he read the impartial reports of heroic deeds and self-sacrifice, he found the report cold and unfeeling. He was as far from his father as he had always been for words could do nothing to bring him a real, live, warm version of the father he always wanted. Deep down, Luke realised that it had never matter to him whether his father was a hero or villain, Jedi or space pirate, all he wanted was a real father to hold him.

_"If you were not my son why would I treat you like this? Are you really naïve enough to believe that I am this lenient with mere prisoners?"_

The memory of Darth Vader standing over him, telling him that he was the father Luke had always wanted was too painful to bear.

_Even if he was by some terrible twist of fate, my father, I still don't want him!_

_Ah, but at least he's real; at least you can touch him…not like those photos that will never move…_

Suddenly the incessant beeping of Leia's commlink interrupted Luke's turmoil.

"Oh, not again," grumbled Leia and then spoke into the mouth piece "Princess Leia,"

A stricken look took hold of her beautiful face as she listen to the person on the other side.

"No that's _impossible_," hissed Leia adamantly but apparently the other person did not agree for he prattled on.

After a long moment of tense silence that left Luke wishing that he could use to the force to hear their conversation, Leia said shakily,

"What are we going to do about it?"

"Alright, I'll be there – no we'll be there."

Taking a moment to compose her features, Leia turned to the perplex Luke and he was shocked to see the intensity of fear in her eyes.

"What happened?"

"We have just intercepted a transmission," said Leia slowly as she grabbed his arm.

"And?"

"It was sent from an uninhabited planet using authentic Clone Wars technology; the encryption matched the unique encryption signals associated with the Jedi Temple during the Clone Wars…"

"And?"

"The sender says he's Anakin Skywalker."

_There are no such things as coincidences_…

* * *

**AN: Hope you like it, nasty cliffhanger - Please Review and the next chapter will be on my website some time soon. **


	18. Arrivals

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 17. Arrivals

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

* * *

**AN: Okay 2 months at uni have stripped my immune system and not done my writing skills any favours so before you curse me to the Netherworld of the Force just pic a poor run down author in bed dying of flu for 4 weeks...seriously.**

**The sharp witted of you will point out some apparent inconsistencies between Luke's account and Vader's actual words – but rest assured these will be explained in due time. **

**

* * *

**

"This can't be right," snapped Madine as a trio of communications officers glared back at him with annoyance. Considering it was the fifth time he had uttered the phrase and every time the volume seemed to increase three fold, Leia was ready to glare at him too. However the other council members who had just arrived on the scene with flushed features and ill contained excitement were too busy dissecting the mysterious message to notice Leia's agitation.

In the midst of the claustrophobic technical room filled with sweating officers and babbling staff, Luke seemed to be floating in a day dream back on Tatooine. Of course to Leia, that was a _good_ reaction. After all, at least his feet were still firmly on the ground instead of speeding away at several hundred kilometres an hour towards the deserted star system where this Jedi Imposter might be.

Several more officers arrived with their shirts hanging out and their jackets askew as though they had just dragged themselves from a game of sabacc to jump into the fray of excitement and mild hysteria.

"General Madine, I really think there is enough people in this room already," said Leia sternly as Madine proceeded to swear colourfully at the main screen. "We should move some people out."

"I'm not leaving until someone proves it's a fake," snapped Madine, his face swelling with impressive redness.

"I didn't tell you to leave, I meant the junior officers," hissed Leia in reply but Madine was too preoccupied with his conspiracy theories which he was belligerently force feeding every communications officer within ear shot. Seeing a lost cause when she saw one, Leia gracefully strolled away to stand by the starry eyed Luke.

"Do you think it's fake, Leia?" asked Luke but his voice was distant and wistful instead of anxious or afraid. Perhaps he had already decided this was real and simply wanted to see if anyone else agreed. Not that Luke would particularly care about the findings; he had always been so spirited and independent in his own calm and collect way.

"I don't know," admitted Leia but the answer seemed to satisfy Luke and he wandered off to look at another photo of his father that was now plastered onto one of the small screens hanging on the wall.

What was floating through his mind was anyone's guess but Leia was too tired to feel unnerved about Luke's serene behaviour. She had much bigger problems to deal with.

Suddenly Admiral Ackbar appeared on the main screen, his big yellow eyes were rolling erratically beneath unhealthily red eyelids.

"Oh dear," muttered a junior officer as he tucked in his shirt.

"Comrades, how is the situation?"

Though Ackbar had never mastered Basic as well as some other members of his species, his passable efforts showed enough good will to allow subordinates to overlook the inconvenience of trying to decipher his accent.

"Admiral Ackbar," replied Madine gravely, "the situation is dire. We have yet to identify whether this message is a fake."

In Leia's opinion _dire_ seemed a gross exaggeration. The best cause of action would simply to ignore this particular message and see if the Imposter followed up his act. Madine, on the other hand, was working up to a prophetical rage over the authenticity. His reasons were unfathomable since no one wanted to fathom them but Leia had a shrewd suspicion about his motives.

"I advise you to do nothing," stated Ackbar with enough graveness to impress an entire War Council and clearly beating Madine at theatrical performance.

"We have no plans to take any direct action,"

"See to it that none of your subordinates decides to strike out on their own initiative," continued Ackbar pointedly, though none of the other personnel in the room understood.

"We shall, Admiral," said Madine keeping the graveness to a bare minimum this time.

The call was cut. Ackbar had never been one for small talk, though he could be impressively eloquent on discussions concerning aquatic wildlife.

Luke was still standing listlessly in the midst of the thronging group of naive junior officers who were determinedly un-tucking their shirts and creating an overall casual look with their clothing. It was definitely time that Leia had a few words with a few choice people.

* * *

"I trust you're not hoping to elope with the romantic notion of finding Anakin Skywalker," asked Leia in a blasé tone as she bluntly locked the door after her. They were intending to 'lounge' in Leia's official quarters whilst the rest of the base worked themselves up about the news.

Luke jumped up with a start as though she had just caught him kissing his imaginary girlfriend.

"No," he said with a non committal jerk of his head, "I can't go anywhere, remember."

"Yes, I'm quite sure the ban imposed by Ackbar several thousand light years away will be enough to keep you docilely oiling the gears in your X-wing whilst the rest of the pilots spread around the exciting news that they have been chosen to investigate."

Luke tried to look angry at being the butt of her sarcasm but he just looked unconvincingly sheepish.

"I'm not going, even if I really really wanted to."

"Listen Luke, I didn't really want to tell you this before in the tech room but I really – and Madine backs me up on this – don't think this message is genuine. As far as we know this is most likely a new strategy to lure you in by Darth Vader." As an inappropriate afterthought she added bluntly, "He must be furious at loosing you. I do hope you'll remember the how widely his tentacles can spread."

Screwing up her face as she ordered the little domestic droid to make them hot beverages, Leia sat down in her favourite chair and watched Luke muse over her thoughts.

He didn't look afraid but then again, he never did. Whatever Vader had done to him aboard the Executor did not seem to be leaving any unconcealable mental scars. According to Ameesa Darys' testimony, Vader seem to have locked the boy up in his quarters and left it at that.

"As you said Vader has many resources, why would he resort to such an elaborate and blatantly unbelievable trap?" asked Luke coolly.

"Firstly, according to Ameesa Darys, you have in Vader's presence mentioned your father -,"

Luke looked a cross between surprise and outrage.

"So you questioned her?" His tone implied that he thought they had done much more than just question her.

"We didn't do anything wrong, if that's what you mean," snapped Leia, "besides she volunteered information as a sign of good will and you should be glad that we are taking her at her word. Back to the topic at hand, Vader now knows how attached you are to Anakin Skywalker and he is willing to exploit this weakness in all its forms."

"But why bring my father back from the dead?" demanded Luke, "It's so – I don't know – stupid! Listen, I know for a fact that it's not Vader behind all this, okay!"

"Why?" asked Leia, sensing that somewhere along the line she had missed a very important piece of information.

"Because -," Luke seemed bursting to say something but then held back at the last minute. "Look, he tried to talk to me when we were on the Executor. He told me..."

" – That he was your father," said Leia almost too excitedly as the memory of their parting moments in the hangar bay at Iona Base revived.

Luke looked stricken yet relieved that she already knew this dirty little secret.

"Did Ameesa -,"

" – No when you collapsed in Iona Base, he called you his son...you probably don't remember that. Besides," continued Leia briskly hoping to sweep away anymore indecision on Luke's part, "it's a really good ploy to recruit you to the dark side. He's really thought all this through. The next step of his grandiose plan, seen as this one has failed, is to get to you through the memory of you real father."

"No, Leia, you don't understand, you weren't there! Vader – he seemed so adamant that I was his son. I know he's lying," but Luke sounded less than reassuring, "it's just that I think he worked really hard to try and convince me. The last thing Vader would want is for Anakin Skywalker to turn up and prove that he's real."

"What?" Leia had lost his wild train of logic. "Why in the galaxy would Anakin Skywalker need to prove that he's real? Of course he's real."

"I just thought that the whole Anakin Skywalker Jedi Knight thing was a complete fabrication...you know _if_ I was Vader's son the last thing Old Ben would want to tell me would be the truth."

Leia tried to suppress a snort. The last thing Obi Wan Kenobi would do with the son of Darth Vader was give him Jedi training.

"Did Vader tell you that Anakin Skywalker was a lie?"

There was a slight pause in which Luke seemed to be contemplating a nugget of information he had never discovered before.

"...No – he never said that exactly – he just harped on about being my father. Well," conceded Luke eventually, "he didn't really _harp_, he just talked as though I was his son and I'd known it all my life. He kept telling me to feel the truth in the force."

This time Leia did snort and rather loudly too.

"That's because he's probably trying out new way of mind control, but that's beside the point. He's obviously not thought this out thoroughly enough because if he did, the official story would be that he _is _Anakin Skywalker."

There was nothing but a dull silence from Luke as he sat with a shocked expression on his face, letting the domestic droid roll by with his hot beverage untouched. His eyes were blank and unfocused as though his mind was working in over drive to process the information.

Finally after what seemed an eternity in his own chaotic world, Luke finally croaked,

"It would work then...it would all work. What Ben told me, what Yoda told me, the whole '_Vader was a pupil of mine who turned to the dark side and betrayed and murdered your father_'. It would all fit."

"Obi Wan told you Vader murdered your father!" cried Leia before she could stop herself. Luke had certainly kept that kernel of truth under close wraps but what had he been afraid of? Having a personal vendetta with the Dark Lord of the Sith seemed to a principle that most Rebels up held. "Well why are we even discussing him? He's must be the most perverted being in the galaxy!"

"No!" yelled Luke and held his head as if it hurt. "It _all _fits. Everything _fits_."

It was at this stage that Leia began wondering if the Imperials had done something much more insidious to Luke.

"How? Please explain yourself clearly."

That seemed to calm him down a bit but there was still a glint of madness in his eyes. It was the condemned madness of a genius who had just discovered a new way to wipe out the world and was planning to use it.

"Listen Leia, if Vader _is_ Anakin Skywalker then everything everyone had ever told me _makes sense_," whispered Luke hoarsely. "Ben told me my father was a Jedi Knight...Vader has the powers of a Jedi and told me that he was once a Jedi -,"

"Let's not forget that he turned to the dark side and disembowelled his supposed friend with a lightsabre," snapped Leia caustically.

"No, what Ben meant – I understand now – what Ben meant is that when _Anakin_ fell to the dark side, he became _Vader_ and that Anakin no longer existed."

"That is an unnecessary twist to a straight forward explanation."

"No it's not. Yoda told me too that my father was once a great Jedi Knight and he died but when I asked how my father died, Yoda gave me lecture on how death is not just the physical body perishing...I can see now, he was trying to get me ready to face the truth!"

Leia was trying to get ready to shatter whatever delusions Vader had cunningly placed in Luke's mind. It was all too apparent now that Luke was unstable and that Imperial custody would yield some even more nasty surprises if he wasn't kept in check. She would have to tackle him herself.

Suddenly Luke jumped up with alarm,

"I have to see Master Yoda! I have to see Master Yoda now!"

"Luke, you can't go gallivanting off on some misadventure! I won't allow it." As Leia had previously guessed under all the dreamy farm boy exterior there was a fiercely stubborn personality, much like her own.

"No! Leia, I have to see him, I have to ask him whether this is true!" spat Luke turning towards the door which was conveniently blocked by Leia and her droid.

"How do I know you're not flying straight into a trap looking for this Jedi Imposter?" cried Leia angrily. "You know your orders!"

"I have no orders," snarled Luke turning an impressive shade of purple that would have frightened Leia had she not been so fired up with aggression.

"You are a member of the Rebellion and I've just given you orders: you are not allowed to leave this base without my permission!"

"Well," said Luke caustically, "it's time I quit!"

"You can't! You won't be discharged, you'll be shot for treason!"

"I don't care. I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

"The bottom of what? There's nothing for you to investigate! You can't possibly _believe_ that Vader is right?"

There was a dreadful pause and for several moments Leia almost expected Luke to back down at her suggestion but he didn't. With his Jedi reflexes he easily dodged passed her and disappeared down the corridor.

* * *

Wedge was completely caught off guard when Luke barged into the Rogue's hangar bay and jumped into his X-wing with a force assisted leap, with R2 floating not far behind.

"Where are you going?" he cried as Luke switched on his engines.

"Wedge, I need to clear my head for a while, take over the squad for me," shouted Luke over the echoing hum.

"You can't!" yelled Wedge as he raced towards the moving X-wing but he was too late and Luke's craft shot through the barrier and disappeared into the blackness of space.

* * *

"And then he just flew off," muttered Wedge as ten pairs of accusing eyes bore into him. The entire High Council was gathered in the large Judiciary Chamber to hear his testimony. "It's quite normal. The Rogues often do individual practise."

"I see," said Rieekan biting his words, "and you honestly believe that Luke Skywalker has simply gone out to practise his flying skills."

"Yes, Sir, I don't see why not," replied Wedge loyally but he could see that no one was taking his words to heart.

"Considering Commander Skywalker has been gone for nearly four hours now, don't you think there may be another reason?" prompted Madine.

"No, Sir, as I said Luke and many other members of the squad often practise for hours to ensure that we perform to the highest standard."

Ten unconvinced faces stared angrily back at him but Wedge was unfazed. Nothing in the seven hells of Corellia could make him betray Luke.

"Very well, Antilles, you are dismissed," sighed Rieekan and waved him impatiently out of the door.

* * *

Luke's X-wing was a lonely place to be without the company of R2 chatting away to him through the computer but there was only one thing on his mind at that moment – his _father_.

_It all fits – those visions I had of Ben and what he told me! It all fits…Yoda said a Jedi Master can only take on one apprentice and yet Ben had two pupils Vader and Anakin. Ben said Vader murdered Anakin and yet he never said how. Yoda spent days teaching me about how the spirit can perish…how the dark side could consume someone until there is nothing of them left. _

_Besides, Darth Vader was his Sith Name…_

_Anakin Skywalker _is _Darth Vader, it has to be true!_

The idea weighed upon his soul until he felt short of breath. _Sith-spawn, he really was Sith-spawn_. But somehow the revelation was not as horrific as it had felt on Bespin. In fact a part of him almost relieved now that he no longer expended so much energy denying the obvious truth.

Suddenly his ship gave a jerky spasm and fell out of hyperspace as R2 shrieked in dismay.

_No, this is not happening…_

"What's wrong R2?"

"_The hyperspace generator is leaking – again," _was R2's desperate reply. _"You must dock to fix this ship."_

"I can't dock R2, we're light years from anywhere – in fact _where_ are we?"

"_Susevfi in the Suarbi System, 2 hours hyperspace away from Dagobah."_

"Right," muttered Luke despondently, the names meant nothing to him. Having been raised on Tatooine, his galactic geography education had much to be desired.

"_You might want to dock here -," _said R2, _"It's where Anakin Skywalker's signal came from."_

"What!" Luke jumped from his seat in shock but his flight restraints prevented him from damaging his head. "How – how did you find out? Leia classified the information."

"_I have my sources,"_ was the cryptic reply. _"So are you going to land or not – all things considered you don't have much choice."_

It must be the fate of force, it had to be…there are no such things as coincidences – he was meant to meet this impostor…

_If he is an impostor,_ said the sly voice that Luke wanted so desperately to disown. _They really have you running around in circles – Vader, Ben and Yoda. _

"Search for any sign of settlements, I think Leia said it was uninhabited."

"_There are no _registered_ settlements,_" replied the small droid shrewdly, _"but I will bet my motors that it's inhabited by something sentient."_

"Let's just hope they're friendly," muttered Luke and started the descent cycle.

* * *

It was dark in Ameesa's new quarters, dark enough for her liking but being surrounded by sensitive communications equipment was not what she had planned. After a somewhat half hearted trial and innocent verdict she was lodged in the only space available, the comm. Suite. The machines were out dated yet well maintained enough to pick up any clandestine transmissions but Ameesa gambled that there would be no one monitoring the outgoing signals at this time of night.

"Prince Xizor," she said respectfully as the pale blue hologram appeared before.

"Ameesa Darys, it's been awhile. How goes our plan?" asked the haughty Falleen as he regarded her dark imaged with narrowed eyes.

"There had been some unexpected developments -,"

"- What developments?" hissed Xizor clenching his fist with annoyance. "You have escaped to the Alliance, have you not?"

"I want to ask if this is your doing." said Ameesa forcefully. "The Rebel Alliance intercepted a transmission today from a man calling himself Anakin Skywalker."

Even without her acute force senses, she could feel the Falleen's shock pouring through their conversation. No actor could have pulled off such a convincing performance. This was, as she had calculated, nothing to do with Xizor's plans.

After a brief moment of surprise, he regained his regal composure and grace.

"I see but you must have something else to report as well," he answered shrewdly – there was no point in concealing Luke's disappearance from him.

"Luke Skywalker has gone to meet this _impostor_, I am sure of it."

"Well, Ameesa Darys, I think it would be prudent for you to _follow_ him. No doubt Vader's spies have already informed him of all this and he is on his way."

Ameesa paused ever so slightly before deciding to question his assumptions.

"How do you know that Darth Vader is not behind all this? It could be an elaborate trap."

Xizor's chilling smile told her there was much more than she wanted to know.

"Trust me, I know."

"There could be no possibility that Anakin Skywalker really survived the purge?"

"If Skywalker had survived, I doubt the Emperor would allow him to run around a free man…" replied Xizor cryptically. "Vader is not involved in this. You must catch up with Skywalker and prevent him from falling into Vader's hands. Report back to me when you can."

Abruptly the transmission was cut leaving a ringing silence in the comm suite.

* * *

Landing was simple, the planet Luke had the misfortune of encountering was mainly composed of seas and savannahs with only a small scattering of mountain ranges in the northern hemisphere. According to R2's infinite knowledge bank which he had downloaded from various Imperial computers, Susevfi had once been under the political control of the Corporate Sector some centuries ago. Despite some mineral ore mining, the planet had all but been deserted by the time of Clone Wars and there were no registered settlements. However R2 had found a promising river basin close to where the first industrial developments had once been and Luke gambled that there might still be someone willing to help him.

"Right R2, I don't see anything at all. Are you sure we're in the right place?"

Through the view port of the stationary X-wing all Luke could see was an open stretch of brown grassland interrupted only by the meandering line of the pink river. A few miles to his right was a forlorn patch of gnarled woodland, the only clump of trees as far as the eye could see. Even the horizon, hundreds of miles away was a continuous flat line, with no signs of any sentient life.

R2 whistled in indignation, he was quite sure the co-ordinates were correct.

"Well, I suppose there really is no one left in this place," sighed Luke, "but perhaps I can fix this ship myself."

If droids had human personalities, R2 could give Leia a run for her money in terms of spirit and sheer stubbornness. He was not going to give up so easily. There was nothing much Luke could do but follow the little droid into the dense grassland.

Having grown up on Tatooine where grass was something spacers talked about in their drunken dazes, Luke was completely unprepared for wading through a sea of six foot tall grass. R2 on the other hand seemed to be quite experienced in navigating this type of terrain and trundled through the jungle as easily as he did sliding on the deck of a warship.

"R2, I hope you know how to get back to the ship," said Luke struggling to keep up with the droid, while battering brown stalks from his face. "I hate this place, no wonder no one could bring themselves to say here."

R2 whistled something the sounded like an insult but then hurried onwards.

It took them nearly half and hour of fighting before the grass finally thinned and shortened to reveal the glittering banks of the river. Its unusual pink colouring was due to huge swarms of krill like creatures that floated just below the surface and shifted with the river currents. However on closer inspection, Luke saw that they were not actually free floating swarms but each group was locked in a thin net of white thread that swayed with the river causing the contents of the web to move too.

"These nets look artificial," said Luke moving closer to the water's edge but the slippery mud banks prevented him from going much further.

R2 whistled triumphantly and indicated a set of well worn tracks along the river bank where a wheel cart of some sort had passed not long ago.

"Well it looks primitive but at least there are still sentients here," conceded Luke, "perhaps there's even a settlement, if Anakin Skywalker _is _here he must have shown up at a village or something. People would have seen him; there have to be people here."

_That's not the only thing that's here, _whistled R2 shrilly as the deafening roar of a ship entering the atmosphere exploded above them.

From the billowing cloud of burning gases emerged the tell tale shape of an Imperial Shuttle followed too closely by the round body of the Millennium Falcon.

_Oh Stars, they've come looking for me!_

* * *

**AN: Please forgive another cliffhanger. Finally I've got the characters where I wanted them to be from the start. Now the next phrase of the story begins. Think dark Luke/Vader camping trip. **


	19. Plots

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 18. Plots

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: Everyone who has stuck with this story through the hiatus.**

* * *

Behind closed doors, in the privacy of his penthouse, Xizor allowed himself on small display of anger... 

_The _Susevfi system_, a transmission from the Susevfi system..._

_Even when a man with so much experience of the galaxy as he had, it was sometimes demoralising to have a crude anomaly ruin his well laid plans. Luke Skywalker was probably alive and well in that barren stretch of space trying to find his father. That in itself was not the disaster but the plan had been to produce an artificial transmission in order to lure the empty headed youth into Xizor's trap – not someone else's. Now that someone else was one step ahead, a whole new course of action had to be planned for one naive, useless human brat._

_Of course, he did not blame Ameesa Darys - she had no control over the situation but the primitive irrational part of Xizor that had not succumbed to evolution wanted her to pay. One day she would outlive her usefulness and then...well he had to dispose of her anyway...knowledge was a dangerous thing. _

Placing a halt on his gallivanting thoughts, Xizor allowed himself a moment to bask in the glow of the setting sun. The furious activity of Coruscant caused many lesser beings to become frantic and confused but Xizor found it calming and soon his mind presented a cunning solution.

The Inquisitorius were ripe for picking, not only did they all possess an insatiable amount of ambition, each had a personal hatred for Darth Vader. It was simply a question of picking the most suitable man for the job.

There was only a handful of candidates to begin with as Xizor need someone who had come to the erroneous conclusion that Darth Vader was the way forwards in life. Of the Inquisitorius, many were hoping to jump ship or dispose of their nominal leader, there was one man that sprung to mind who had resigned himself to serving Vader as a compensation for his weak merits and lack of talent...Tremayne, Antinnis Tremayne, the recently disgraced High Inquisitor who had just returned to the Core from Vader's flag ship.

The most recent skirmish with the rebels had been a military disaster and despite no evidence to support the action, Tremayne and Halmere had both been sent back to the Core without an honourable discharge. Perhaps Vader had finally realised the threat his squad of Jedi hunters posed but it was typical of the hard headed oaf to send the only two people who would actual serve him away.

Tremayne and Halmere – the perfect pawns in Xizor's perfect game.

* * *

Vader's private hanger was filled with the strangest and rarest flight worthy machines in the galaxy but it was not the first time Tremayne had been here. He had grown used to the smooth curves of the Nubian fighter and the dented surface of the republican Delta-7. Nearby Halmere was making a nuisance of himself with the engineers and blissfully not realising it. 

Vader had given them both clear instruction on their current mission but Halmere had evidently forgotten the most important one – do not underestimate Xizor. The sly Falleen had manoeuvred Halmere into a meeting in the public plaza outside where he claimed he would give vital information in exchange for a halt on the rivalry between Vader and himself.

The plot reeked of goodwill, something that no one in the Imperial court possessed, but even Tremayne thought twice about refusing an offer from Xizor. He was the third most powerful being in the galaxy.

When the antique clock tower chimed three, Tremayne was pleased to note that the engineers had managed to accidentally flick several globules of engine grease onto Halmere's ornate cloak without being noticed.

"We must leave now," said Halmere as he hurried towards the exit.

"I was waiting to for you."

It took Xizor minimal effort to convince the two Inquisitors that his intentions were genuine. His willingness to give Lord Vader information on Luke Skywalker's location could only be seen as a good thing. However Xizor was pleased to see that the Inquisitors saw that beneath the generous exterior he had ulterior motives and that made him predictable in their eyes. Once someone was predictable they ceased to be a threat or so some thought.

"Gentlemen, the rebel Skywalker could be in Imperial hands by sun down if you relay this message to Lord Vader," said Xizor smoothly as he stared down at the two elaborately dressed Inquisitors sitting stiffly on his upholstery.

"Why have you not contacted him yourself?" demanded Tremayne as Xizor had predicted.

"You see, here is the catch, gentlemen. My assistance displeases Lord Vader and he will most likely refuse to even hear me out. Just between the three of us, we all know how temperamental he can be."

"Then how do you expect us to fare any better?" asked Tremayne shrewdly.

"Oh, you won't, not by just relaying a message," stated Xizor calmly, "you'll need to do a bit more than that."

Even without looking at the two humans Xizor could feel their disquiet.

"How much more?"

"If I gave you all the information to capture young Skywalker, would you do it?"

"Without Vader's permission?" stuttered Halmere looking as though the Dark Lord was already breathing down his neck.

"My sources tell me that capturing Skywalker is mandatory for all Inquisitors, particularly when he strolls into your sector of the galaxy,"

"And when will that happen?" said Tremayne looking slightly more interested in the proposal.

"I am afraid my friends you shall have to go to him under the pretence of tracking one of XTS's imperial cargo ships."

At this Halmere visibly bristled with fear.

"Yes, I know why you have been sent here – to investigate me despite my repeated claims of innocence – but gentlemen; if you do capture Skywalker, Lord Vader will reward you beyond your imaginations."

"And how does this benefit you?" asked Tremayne cautiously.

"Oh I expect the Emperor will know who was responsible for the vital information; after all, I have already informed him."

Halmere drew in an audible breath like a nervous teenager.

"I see and all this will reflect poorly on Lord Vader because he will deny he had any help from you,"

"Oh no, I have already said this is a peace offering..." Xizor let the blatant lie slide and stood smiling coldly down at his pawns. After a short moment of silence Tremayne agreed.

"Are we going after Skywalker on our own?" demanded Halmere in the security of Tremayne's office. The more experienced Inquisitor shook his head with someone akin to a sarcastic smile.

"You really are foolish, Halmere."

Halmere did not protest, he was used to such insults by now but one day he would surpass Tremayne become Vader's favoured Inquisitor.

"Whatever – are we going? Can we trust the data?"

"And risk Lord Vader's wrath when we deliver the boy? I think not. No matter what you present him with, be it Skywalker or the whole Rebellion on a platter, Vader will never forgive us for going behind his back. Nor," continued Tremayne thoughtfully, "will he forgive us if we keep this from him – he has spies everywhere."

"So -,"

"We tell him everything,"

* * *

On the bridge of the Executor a certain dour faced mechanic was meeting an equally dour end. His grey corpse slumped lifelessly onto the deck and two officers promptly removed it from view. 

Admiral Piett was waiting near the entrance to the bridge, just out of sight of the main controls area. He was not hiding, he was just being rather cautious. Captain Venka being of limited originality was standing there with him and twitching with uncontrolled fear.

The last skirmish with the rebels had not gone well though it might have if Darth Vader's TIE had not been disabled in the midst of battle and a full scale retreat ordered. Not that Vader had ordered the retreat himself, The Emperor had commanded the whole fleet to deal with an emergency insurgency in the Andaman System, a previously independent set of planets.

Lord Vader was not pleased to say the least but there was something else irking the Dark Lord of the Sith, something the Emperor could not take responsibility for, something that burned like wildfire through the ship board gossip mongers. Luke Skywalker had escaped. Lord Vader's dissident "son" had somehow escape in the confusion of battle with none other than Inquisitor Darys.

Admiral Piett liked to take such comments with a pinch of salt but the fact that he still had not set eyes on the boy really made him wonder. Everyone had a hard time believing that Luke Skywalker could be the biological son of Darth Vader but the more daring gossipers had already started rumours of a coup. Luke Skywalker, it was said, had powers beyond the ordinary and Darth Vader had selected him as his Sith Heir to help him overthrow the Emperor. Yet others claimed that Skywalker's escape was not an escape at all, the boy was being hidden away with the Rebellion until a time came when he could emerge and help Vader take over the galaxy. The wilder theories around Skywalker's conception were too distasteful to repeat but one man, Pellaeon had produced a most wonderful story which earned him quite a few drinks at the bar. Back in the days of the Clone Wars, he had said, there was a Jedi myth about a hero who would bring balance to their sacred energy, the force. The hero would be conceived by the force itself and have the highest midichlorian count any living thing could have. This being would be their _Chosen One_. Perhaps, Skywalker was the chosen one and that was why Vader was so desperate to control this rebel boy.

No one laughed at the story. No one who had seen Darth Vader in person could laugh at the force and Admiral Piett decided it was time to put the rumours behind him. It was said that Darth Vader could read a man's thoughts as clearly as if they were written on a datapad and Piett did not want to give his superior an excuse to end his career...and his life.

* * *

Even as a ten inch flickering hologram, Darth Vader still managed to chill the room with his very presence. 

"What is it, Inquisitor?" demanded the deep rumbling voice.

"My Lord," said Tremayne cautiously, "we have information from Prince Xizor about the rebel Skywalker."

The hologram clenched its fists so tightly that Tremayne was amazed the leather gloves did not split but the ear splitting crash showed that something else was not lucky.

"My Lord, Xizor has given us the current location of Luke Skywalker. He is in the Susevfi system, against the orders of the Rebellion. Xizor offered us the information as a means to shame you. He wished for us to capture Luke Skywalker without your permission in order to gain your reward. The Emperor already knows that he has supplied you with this data and Xizor hoped that you would deny receiving any help and therefore be made to look dishonest in the eyes of the Emperor."

"And?" rumbled Vader sounding very impatient.

"My Lord, do you wish for us to bring you Skywalker?"

"Leave that to me. Return to the fleet immediately, you have done enough."

The hologram blinked out of existence leaving Tremayne and the silent Halmere feeling distinctly nervous.

* * *

"The Imperial shuttle is one of ours?" said Luke derisively as R2 beeped in excitement. "How many people has Leia brought? Is she really going to arrest me?" 

R2 gave the electronically equivalent of a laugh.

"It's not funny, R2, I deserted my post and disobeyed orders. What if the Alliance wants to court marshal me?"

_Are you going to run?_ Asked R2 or at least that was what Luke thought he had asked but before he could reply R2 was already rolling towards the two ships at top speed.

"Hey, come back! Don't leave me here!"

* * *

When Leia disembarked from her the Millenium Falcon and saw the empty flat landscape she finally realised why Anakin Skywalker – the _imposter_ – would hide out here. There was nothing on this planet that could be of interest to either the Alliance or the Imperials and there was no recorded civilisation to boot. 

_Just like Ben Kenobi hid on Tatooine, _thought Leia, _perhaps this imposter is smarter than we gave him credit for._

Luke's bright orange X-wing was parked just a few hundred metres away, scratched and battered and looking the same as it always had.

"Man, what a dump," sighed Lando as he pulled his royal blue cloak around his shoulders. "I'd go back to Kessel anytime."

Chewie wasn't far behind with his own evaluation which involved cursing the planet for not having any trees.

"Right get Alpha squad to home in on R2-D2's signal, Luke will be with him," ordered Leia, "I just hope he hasn't had time to do anything stupid yet."

Fifteen volunteers including the pilot jumped out of the Imperial shuttle looking as happy as a group of men who had been cheated out of a holiday would.

"Princess Leia," said Wes disapprovingly, "you promised this was going to be nice relaxing assignment."

"It will, all we have to do is...make contact with Commander Skywalker and proceed to discover the origins of the transmission."

"Shut up, Janson and line up," snapped Wedge as he holstered a survival pack and his blaster. "Just because this planet looks boring doesn't mean it's _safe_."

"Commander Skywalker's signal is coming from half a klick to the north east," reported their navigation officer.

"Very well men, move out. Oh and Janson, you can guard the ship while we're gone," said Wedge.

"What! – I mean _yes sir_," snarled Wes as he dropped out of line but his jaw dropped when he saw who was making his way towards them from behind the Imperial Shuttle.

"You guys really didn't have to come and find me, you know," said Luke walking towards them looking very sheepish.

"But Commander Skywalker, we are part of your back up team," said one star struck young rookie who looked as if he only volunteered to get an autograph.

However Leia was already wrapping her arms around Luke's neck before he could reply.

"Luke, you're safe, we're so glad your okay."

"I don't understand Commander, your signal is coming from -," said the navigations officer looking distinctly embarrassed.

"I left R2's signal transmitter at the river; we found some signs of civilisation."

R2 beeped proudly in response as though he was taking the credit for their great discovery.

"What? And uncharted settlement, that could present a problem," said Wedge grimly, "we'll have to take more ammo."

"No, no, guys it was just a couple of fishing nets and some tracks, but they looked sophisticated enough. I reckon that there might be a small and primitive settlement nearby which we could use as base while we search for -,"

"-Well it could work out if the natives don't chop us up and eat us -,"

"- Or alert the Imperials,"

"I say we scout it out," said Lando smoothly, "the imposter must be making contact with a settlement in order to survive and the signal came from this quadrant..."

Chewie roared in agreement and half dragged Luke back the way he had come with the rest of the team following.

* * *

Half a kilometre's travel later, Luke could sense most of their little band of investigators were as annoyed with the elephant grass as he had been. 

"There, look at those nets," said Luke as they all emerged onto the slippery banks of the pink river. "The nets are holding the pink krill in place, it looks to be a primitive fishing industry of some sort and there are wheel tracks over there..."

"Stars! The people here must be living in caves or something – a _wheeled_ cart?"

"Quiet Lando," snapped Leia impatiently, "I suppose we'd better follow the tracks – now I wish I'd bought C-3PO, we will need a translator."

"Princess," said one of their group tentatively, "I have a portable translator in my backpack, and it can understand up to six million forms of communication."

"Thank you, Johnson," said Leia warmly. "Be ready to take it out in time. We'd better cross the river now if we even want to make it anywhere before sun down."

"Sun sets in five hours and fifty five minutes, approximately," supplied the young rookie recruit who was evidently in charge of the information database.

The tracks were easy to follow as the mud on the river bank was soft and wet but they seemed to continue for a very long distance and by the time the tracks peeled away from the river bank, Luke felt as if the sun set should have been and gone a long time ago.

_What will we do once we get there?__What will we do when we have found the imposter? Is there even an imposter? What if the primitive natives found the old signalling device and set it off by accident? What if this is all just a wild bantha chase?_

He didn't want to voice his doubts and fears because it would only make the weary troop feel even more demoralised. The men had volunteered for this mission when they could be back at base enjoying the delights of freshly cooked roots vegetables and sabacc games.

_My father – no I'm not going to think about Vader...but where is he? How is he? Does he hate me for escaping with Ameesa? _

The voices inside his head threw conflicting emotions at his mind until Luke wished that he could just forget the mess that he had fallen into...and just sleep.

_I don't care what Vader thinks of me – he may be my father but..._

_But what?_ Asked the sly voice that lived in the darkness where his ego never touched _Daddy is rich, powerful – you'll never have to endure hardship again, he will look after you – no more disgusting rations, you'll dine only on the best food in the galaxy and sleep in the softest -,_

_Shut up! _

_And no one will ever bully you again, who would dare. You can do whatever you want, be whatever you want to be and -,_

_And, _said a worryingly more rational voice that Luke hated as much as that insidious monster he had to listen to everyday, _you're not _alone_ anymore. He understands what it feels like to be alone, he understand what it means to be set apart – to have the weight of the world on his shoulders._

_No, _snapped Luke _No! He's a monster and he will never understand _me

_You'd better wake up now, Puke,_ snarled his evilness, _Leia wants know what demons are camped out in your head._

"Luke, we're moving off now," said Leia crouching in front of where he was sitting.

Luke jerked backwards in surprise; he had not even noticed he had fallen asleep. The scenery had not changed but there was the faintest tint of gold on the landscape that signalled the day was about to end. Around him, he realised, where a dozen concerned looking men.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"Well," said Wes Janson sarcastically, "I doubt you'd be screaming _he's a monster and he will never understand me,_ while you're awake."

"I hope you weren't dreaming of me?" said Lando with a nervous laugh, "'Cos I never claimed to understand you, kid."

"No," muttered Luke feeling his throat constricting with fear; what else had they heard him shouting in his sleep?

"Come on, everyone get ready. We need to either reach a settlement or find a campsite before the sun sets."

"I doubt we'll be able to fulfil the first criterion," muttered Wes cynically, "you set to go Luke?"

"Yeah...I'm fine, perfectly sane," replied Luke with a very fake smile. They found themselves at the back of line and Wes was purposefully lagging behind. "Come on."

"We need to _talk_," whispered Janson as he dragged Luke back even further.

"About what?"

"About your father."

"What!"

For a terrible moment Luke thought that Wes Janson had found out the very secret he had been so desperate to keep hidden.

"I was there in the hangar bay at Iona Base," continued Wes gravely.

"You know about -,"

"Vader called you his son and I've been doing a bit of snooping myself,"

"What?"

"Listen Luke, you wrote on your enlistment form that your biological father was Anakin Skywalker right? And he was a Jedi Knight, right?"

"Yes," said Luke curtly wondering where in the Force this conversation was going. _At least Wes hasn't started hating me yet but then again he doesn't _believe_ what Vader said does he?_

"Old new reels – every decent library keeps some. The Grand Library of Alderaan supplied the Rebellion and thankfully we still have copy of their database. News article 19 year before the battle of Yavin, Skywalker and Kenobi still missing after Jedi Purge."

Luke stared at him feeling completely shocked.

"I thought all stuff about Jedi was banned?" said Luke looking completely lost.

"Ah but the Empire can't ban what it doesn't know about can it? This was from an underground newspaper on Alderaan dedicated to tunnel racing but Skywalker and Kenobi were so famous even that paper had to put something in on them. I think from what I could gather from the records, this paper was pretty interested in Jedi."

Luke was somewhat amused by the idea of punks with spiky hair tunnel racing under the streets of beautiful, clean Alderaan but all planets have their underworlds or in Alderaan's case _had..._

"Anakin Skywalker was still alive after the Jedi Temple was destroyed," said Wes gravely as though he had just revealed the meaning of life. "He was probably never at the Temple to begin with because every Jedi in there was slaughtered and their deaths announced to the new regime. I can even show you a death list if you want."

"Okay, okay," muttered Luke, "what _are_ you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say, Luke, is that this is not so farfetched. Anakin Skywalker _could_ still be alive. Obi-Wan Kenobi managed it."

"So you don't think this guy's an imposter?"

"No, it's not that," muttered Wes suddenly looking a lot less comfortable after his initial excitement. "It's just this newspaper publish a weird article in the next issue and I couldn't help _noticing _it."

"What? Come on Wes spill the beans! We're loosing the rest of the crew."

"Okay, Anakin Skywalker was a favourite of Chancellor Palpatine's before he became the Emperor."

Luke stared at Wes in disbelief.

"No!"

"It said so in the paper and if you look at some back issues there were some mentions of Skywalker being put on the Jedi council by the Chancellor."

"That doesn't prove anything," said Luke trying and failing to look unconvinced.

"Look just listen, okay, and – and please don't hate me,"

Several seconds before Wes opened his mouth again, Luke finally realised what he had been trying to say for the last two minutes but it was too late to stop him.

"When the Jedi were wiped out, this cyborg, Darth Vader, just appeared out of nowhere and got on really well with Palpatine...as if – as if they had know each other for _years_. The paper printed this,"

And to Luke's astonishment Wes produced a datapad from his pocket and displayed clearly on the screen was a picture of Anakin Skywalker superimposed on the terrifying image of Darth Vader. The caption said:

_They are one._

Luke did not care if he was gaping like an ill mannered Tatooine moisture farmer, he couldn't stop himself.

"Luke," said Wes gently, "I think your father is royally pissed right now."

* * *

**AN: Hiatus is now over - 5 weeks of Easter Holidays!!! Please review**


	20. Reunion

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 19. Reunion

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: Everyone who has stuck with this story through the hiatus.**

**Next chapter is up on my homepage (not betaed - so might offend decent grammar) - disenchanted./starwars**

* * *

"My Lord, the interrogation report of Ferus Olin has arrived," said the crisp clear voice of Daine Jirr over the comm. Unit.

"Bring it to me," rumbled Darth Vader as he opened the black mediation pod. Daine Jirr respectfully placed the thin data pad on the floor and left.

The file was at least three month old and in another time Vader would have been angry at his own delay in reading this report but recent events had pushed Ferus Olin to the back of his mind, until now.

He typed "The Susevfi system" into the datapad and a modest list of references cropped up. Apparently Ferus Olin had been very _tight lipped_ during his interrogation and unsurprisingly he had died before the Inquisitors managed to extract anything of great importance from him.

Scrolling down through lines of useless information, Vader came to the passage that he had been expecting, the reference to Susevfi and...Desertwind.

_Fifteen months before the end of the Clone Wars, Jedi Master Nejaa Halcyon and his partner Desertwind were ordered by the Jedi Council to investigate reports of unidentified force users in the planet Susevfi. Their findings were never documented in the Jedi Archives and consequently Imperial investigators believe that they were unsuccessful. Nejaa Halcyon does not appear in any more archival references after the expedition and the code name Desertwind was not longer used again by any other Jedi. Imperial investigators conclude that both Jedi died during the mission before they were able to report back to the Jedi Council._

That conclusion was no doubt a result of sheer laziness on the part of the Inquisitorius as it gave them one more excuse not to visit a barren planet on a wild Jedi chase. Vader knew now that the Jedi were alive and taking refuge on Susevfi. Perhaps it was only after the destruction of the Death Star that they attempted to contact the Rebel Alliance, to seek help to overthrow the Empire. Perhaps they had even found out about Luke Skywalker and offered him their Jedi knowledge. Whatever the reason, their presence had clearly drawn Luke to that barren corner of the Universe and now Vader was about to follow.

* * *

"_Luke," said Wes gently, "I think your father is royally pissed right now."_

"Y-y-you don't actually -," stuttered Luke feeling the familiar rush of panic gripping his throat.

_Wes believed he was the son of Darth Vader!_

"I see you believe it too," said Wes shrewdly, "or you'd have laughed ages ago."

"I -," Luke had no idea what to say, he was trapped in a corner with no way out.

"It's alright, mate. I don't hate you," said Wes reassuringly. "I suppose it must be _really_ weird...you know – to be that son of such a great Jedi."

Luke blinked in confusion.

"I mean, it doesn't really matter what Anakin Skywalker turned into – it's just really good to know that his legacy lives on – in you."

"Come on, you guys," snapped Wedge from a long way away, "you're holding up the expedition."

Sunset seemed to be very slow on this planet compared to the hurried affair back on Tatooine. The Sun seemed to enjoy taking its time to descend below the flat horizon and the shadows did not seem to lengthen until you remembered how short the shadows were before.

"I won't tell anyone Luke," said Wes quietly as they marched through the long grass, "I promise. It's your life and your choice but you'll have to face the truth someday..."

Luke didn't respond, instead he tried to concentration on the beaten dirt track and the brown stalks of grass on either side.

"No matter what you think people will say, Luke, your friends aren't going to disappear overnight. We _know_ you, we know what you're like and you are _nothing_ like_ him_. You're -,"

"-Look Wes, let's just drop it," snapped Luke.

They walked in tense silence for the next hour or so as the sun gradually decline until it sat a mere inch from the bottom of the multicoloured sky. The warmth of its rays had finally diminished and the shadows were stretched out like dark deformed figures flickering on the long brown grass.

"I see something," shouted the young rookie Luke had not had time to meet.

Far to the East away from the Sun's red glare something too far to make out had broken the flat monotony of the sky line. A plain white square jutted up into the deep blue sky.

"R2 claims its fifteen kilometres away," said Lando jovially. "I reckon we can make it before complete darkness."

"Yes, but would that be wise?" demanded Leia's voice. "Do we even know of any nocturnal wildlife?"

"According to the Trade Federation data, Susevfi does not have any larger carnivores beyond the size of a nerf," said a snappy young Lieutenant.

"Well, that's big for me," muttered Wes as they trudged onwards. "I don't want to meet a nerf on a dark night and they're herbivores."

"Look, we can make it," said Lando confidently, "All we really have to do is walk _faster._"

Lando had been wrong, it was now completely dark and they had not covered the fifteen kilometres. Leia was refraining from being unjustly smug only because they could no longer make out each other's faces and it would be far more satisfying to berate him with the full force of her facial expressions.

Luke and Wes were no longer dragging their feet at the back of the queue but seen as it was pitch black Luke could not make out where he was in relation to anyone else. It was only the trampling sound of weary feet that kept Luke on tract. No one said a word as they marched forwards their senses alert for unknown dangers. However the darkness was at times a blessing because Luke no longer had to endure Wes' piercing looks and constant attempts at conversation. Wes, his wonderful and trustworthy friend, would not be spreading their secret around but even so Luke felt terribly vulnerable and exposed. His dirty secret was out and it was only a matter of time before someone with ill intentions got the information. Perhaps he should be feeling more concerned, perhaps he should be thinking of a contingency plan when the Alliance turned against him but Luke had always known at the back of his mind since the fateful day on Bespin that his secret could not be kept forever and even so he was determined to stay with the Alliance until the very end.

Suddenly, as though a giant claw had torn through the fabric of the blackness, a large irregular patch of starlit sky appeared above them and the ground was illuminated by the light of three bright shining moons.

The effect was spectacular to behold but as the stunned Rebels stood blinking in the moonlight another completely unnatural light appeared above the horizon.

"It's an Imperial Shuttle!" cried a voice from the crowd and as the light approached, the dim blurry image resolved itself into three perfect orbs of light arranged in an unmistakable pattern.

"Everyone, take cover," snapped Lando and the small disorganised banded disappeared under the cover of the tall grass like a pack of meerkats.

The shuttled veered down towards them like a giant bird of prey. For several moments the silvery moonlight caught its structure and Luke could see the dark gleaming wings and body of the giant craft beyond the brightness of its wing lights. However the danger breezed over their heads and disappeared into the black sky, until it became nothing more than a tiny speck of white against an empty backdrop.

Several metres away Luke became aware of their communications officer fiddling frantically with his outdated equipment.

"The shuttle deployed no life scans. I don't think it spotted us."

There was a short lived collective sigh of relief swallowed by a deathly silence.

"The shuttle has landed," said the comm. Officer eventually, "it's five clicks away from our vessels."

"_Why_ is it here?" demanded Lando breathlessly.

"I think we are being followed…"

* * *

Darth Vader disembarked from his shuttled without ceremony and the squad of stormtroopers from the 501st legion hastily followed him down the ramp into the wild dark night.

"Squad Alpha will guard the vehicle, Beta will continue on with me," rumbled Vader as he strolled purposefully into suffocating darkness as the bright moon disappeared behind thick clouds.

The Beta Squad with their floodlights, communication gear and a large assortment of other paraphernalia, marched after their commander without any sign of fear or hesitation.

* * *

"According to protocol we have to find the nearest place to hide and report back to base as soon as possible," said Lando derisively, "but that ain't gonna happen. There's less places to hide on this planet than in the dance suit of a Twi'lek." Someone somewhere found the innuendo very funny.

"Let's hope the Imperial move off in completely the wrong direction and keep moving," said Leia with her usual decisive tone, "there is no use trying to head back to our transport because it's too close to the Imperials, they would detect us in no time..."

She kindly refrained from suggesting that their shuttle might have already been discovered and they were in essence now trapped on this hostile planet.

"Well if we're going to _that_ optimistic, why don't we just set up camp here and wait until morning?" demanded Lando sarcastically but Chewie growled in serious agreement.

"We _are_ all very tired and I don't think the Imperials are that desperate to start searching for us in pitch black -," said Wes who had in the course of the conversation moved up the line.

"- Don't be daft," said Wedge, "The Imperials would have bought night vision goggles and heat sensors and other _junk_."

"Either way," said Johnson the communications expert, "they'll have the same advantage whether we move or not. I think we need rest, we're not going to get anywhere tonight."

"I second that," said Luke wearily.

As soon as the Imperial shuttle had landed, he had known without a doubt why it was here. Darth Vader had been tracking his movements. Someone in small closed circle of Alliance high command was a _spy_. Luke's disappearance would have been kept a secret and only not even the volunteers would have known his location before the mission.

Luke knew intuitively that no matter how fast or far they tried to run on this small planet, Vader would hunt them down. He only hoped that his new plan was going to work...

"Fine," said the Princess disapprovingly, "we'll make a temporary camp but we won't be staying long and make sure there is someone competent on guard at all times."

There a nervous bustle of activity as the team tried to locate the inflatable tents in near total darkness.

Without any thought Luke stretched out to the force to locate a spare tent and almost screamed as a completely foreign presence brushed against his mind. The presence hastily withdrew but as Luke forced his clenched muscle to relax, it reappeared, probing curiously at his poor mental defences. There was no malice, anger or hate...just curiosity and as Luke continued to feel for the presence he felt instinctively that mind was human. The very fabric of this being felt faintly familiar to him, like the fading memory of a dream that could never quite be recalled.

The presence seemed to sense his recognition. Luke sensed that it was almost about to approach further but suddenly an altogether more familiar and dangerous mind encroached into their telepathic bond. An out pouring of great surprise, anger and then hate gushed into the force but it was all directed at the foreign presence. Darth Vader was so preoccupied with discovery that he had not even noticed Luke.

With great willpower Luke withdrew from the force and strengthened his mental shields like Yoda had taught him. There was no time to lose; he would have to put his plan into motion now.

The muffled but frantic noises of tents self-inflating and people trampling about arranging their gear, Luke carefully located R2 without touching the force. The little droid was standing alone as thought thoroughly confused by the blundering of its human comrades.

Without a word Luke slipped the small disk he had been carrying into R2's messenger unit and slipped away into the night.

The going was slow through the waist high grass and with nothing to guide him Luke knew he was running blindly but he no longer cared. He needed to put as much distance between himself and his team. It had been ridiculously stupid of him to believe that he could be safe back with the Alliance. Vader was never going to let him go, unless he did something about it.

_I hope Ameesa will be alright,_ he thought desperately as he staggered wildly through the night.

* * *

Ameesa Darys was alright, in fact she was perfectly fine and piloting an unimpressive piece of outdated junk that passed for a freighter. In the cargo hold was several crates of fried circuitry, two large sacks of rare tubers and a protocol droid that desperately needed reprogramming to keep it quite.

It was called C3PO and unlike most protocol droid she couldn't disintegrate him just yet. After all she would nominally need him for the trade mission she had been given.

The Rebel Alliance was desperate for all kind of resources and her mission, with some personal persuasion was to trade spare parts for blankets and cloth in the next system, half and hours hyperspace drive away. That was plenty of time for something to go very wrong with her navigation system. Something so wrong that she could potentially end up hundreds of light years away in say... the Susevfi system.

* * *

The cold light of dawn was just beginning to appear on the horizon when Luke finally decided to rest. The night had seemed surprisingly short but he was exhausted. His face was raw from the brittle stems of grass whipping across his skin as he ran and his legs were almost ready to collapse from under his weight. He heaved himself a few paces further and lay down to rest on the lump ground. With any luck, he was now far away from the team. Within moments he was fast asleep.

Strange dreams assaulted him as he lay unconscious.

_The face of Anakin Skywalker stared down at him from all directions; Anakin posing with his lightsabre, Anakin standing with Obi-Wan during the clone wars, Anakin standing on Naboo as part of a press conference. Then the face began to morph, Anakin was no longer smiling or even looking determined, he was scared, confused, torn...then he was burning as though someone had set fire to his pictures but he was feeling real pain. As the smoke disappeared something seemed to rise from the ashes – something that Luke knew instinctively that he didn't want to see. _

_A great gloved hand, as dark as night burst forth and then an arm with the torso, then finally standing before him was Darth Vader reaching out to grab him from an impossible height. _

_No! No!_

_I found you, Luke, I have you now!_

"I have you now,"

Luke jerked awake at the voice. It was decidedly higher than the low rumble of Darth Vader but unlike anything he had ever heard. That was until he came face to face with a green lightsabre place against his neck.

"Who-who are you?" stammer Luke as he eyed the seemingly young alien that was yielding the blade.

"I am a Jensaarai."

"What?" said Luke derisively.

"You have trespassed upon our lands and now you shall answer to the Grand Master," said the alien sternly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm just, I'm just here to find someone!"

"You can defend yourself at in front of the council. I find your innocence hard to believe considering you have penetrated so far into your territory."

Thoroughly unprepared and confused Luke fumbled to assert his innocence.

"Look this is all a really bad misunderstanding...I'm – I'm a Jedi – well not really but I'm training to be one. I have a lightsabre too."

To prove his point Luke made to show his own blue lightsabre to the alien but was prevented from doing so by his blade.

"I knew it," snarled the alien his green skin becoming tinged with excitement, "I knew it, the Jedi have returned to seek there revenge. Tell me, _boy_, where are the rest of your treacherous Jedi friends? Has the council sent an army this time?"

"_What?_ What revenge? What council? There aren't any Jedi left, the Sith killed them all. There's just me and – and-,"

Luke hesitated before he blurted out the existence of master Yoda in front of a clearly hostile alien of unknown allegiance.

"_What?_" this time it was the alien's turn to look astonished but Luke felt it reaching out to the force and confirming the truth of his words. He could feel the alien's mind churning with fear, shock and excitement as it savoured the news. After a moment it turned back to him with a carefully guarded expression as thought deciding on the best course of action.

"You are coming with me to explain this to the Grand Master; she will decide your fate."

Unable to resist with the lightsabre still held centimetres from his neck, Luke rose unsteadily from his cramped position and instantly felt a shooting pain in all his muscles.

"Move!" snapped the alien, completely aware of his discomfort. "Walk in front of me and do as I say,"

"Look, you have nothing to fear from me," said Luke as calmly as he could. "I'm not here to hurt anyone, I didn't even know of the Jen-Jen-,"

"-Jensaarai!"

"I just want to get back to my ship and get off this planet," replied Luke shakily as he felt the green blade of the lightsabre edging closer to his neck.

"Why did you come here then?" demanded the Jensaarai aggressively.

"I'm looking for someone -,"

"Who!"

Luke decided it was best to be honest for he knew that lying to this force sensitive alien was almost impossible.

"The – I received a message from this planet from Anakin Skywalker but he's been officially dead for years, so I came to investigate…"

"Anakin Skywalker, that name sounds familiar,"

"You've heard of him?" asked Luke, not sure whether this was a good development. From what he had gathered the Jensaarai seemed to have been in complete seclusion since the birth of the Empire and they _hated _Jedi.

"It's none of your business, move!"

Slowly Luke turned around and found himself staring at a forest that he had never noticed before. He had come perilously close to walking straight into one of the tall, lush trees last night but in the complete darkness he had simply blundered on in the same direction until he dropped from exhaustion.

Shakily, he started to make his way towards the forest with the alien training his lightsabre on his back. The alien had made no move to confiscate Luke's weapon but it was probably because he looked for too pathetic to put up much of a fight.

The trek was short and after what seemed to be only a few minute of staggering over uneven terrain Luke saw to his astonishment the outline a complex of domes beyond the trees. Giant round structures of pale grey stone jutted up from the flat grassy plain, concealed on all sides by the lush green forest that surrounded the complex.

As they approached, Luke could see how aged and worn the stonework had become. Large cracks snaked across the surface of these domes and joined together like a spider's web but no weeds had colonized the stonework and the stone paths that criss crossed the clearing had been worn smooth by centuries of use.

_No wonder, they are so angry, I was metres away from their base!_

There were no signs of life within the complex, but as Luke stretched out the force, he felt the presence of hundreds of beings all reaching out to investigate him. Suddenly a strange yet familiar touch brush against his mind. It was the presence from last night but this time it felt almost welcoming.

"The Grand Master is waiting in the central hall," said the alien curtly as he guided Luke towards the front of the largest dome where a small door way had been cut into the rock. Beyond, the bright sunlight only illuminated the top few steps of a long staircase leading deep underground.

As they descended in the darkness Luke felt the excitement rising from the hundreds gathered inside. They in turn could sense his unconcealed fear and confusion.

At the bottom of the narrow staircase was cavernous entrance hall curved out from the bed rock of the planet that was, unlike the surface structures, a deep blood red. On the opposite site, illuminated by the light of flaming torches, was a huge set of wooden doors.

_They certainly have a sense of drama,_ thought Luke cynically

_**Oh yes we do, young man**_**: **said the calm, amused presence in his mind. Unable to take back his stupid remark and feeling distinctly foolish Luke allowed himself to be directed towards the doors.

For several moments Luke waited in tense silence for the doors to swing open. The beings inside must have felt his impatience but surprising they did not leave him outside to heighten his fear. The doors creaked open slowly to reveal an amazing sight.

Inside a giant round chamber built like an arena with several layers of tiered seats was packed with beings of all species dressed in strange and elaborate suits of red armour. The chamber too was carved out from the blood red bed rock and decorated with natural veins of pure white stone. In the centre the complicated white floor marking converged to form a pentagon where the Grand Master stood in all her glory.

Though dwarfed by the chamber, she stood like a grand statue draped in clothes of bright gold that almost shone in the dim light.

"Welcome, young Jedi." Her powerful voice resonated through the chamber like the deep and mysterious voice of a god.

A low rumbled of noise erupted from the crowd as though it could no longer contain itself. Luke felt his words sticking in his throat as he gazed back that the imperious, _glowing_, woman.

"I-I'm –I'm not -,"

"We know you are barely trained," she continued as though he had not spoken. "I believe that you have news to tell us."

A cacophony of voices rose from the seats as beings eagerly leaned forwards to inspect the intruder and voice their judgement of him.

"How long have you been in seclusion?" asked Luke trying to inject a tone of confidence into his voice. It had only just occurred to him that he might be forced into the position of ambassador for the Rebellion if these people had no idea of the outside world.

"We are not in seclusion, we are in hiding. Come closer, young Jedi,"

With no choice but to obey Luke tried to stride purposefully towards the Grand Master but his knees were shaking violently and he fought to keep himself from collapsing. His desperate escape last night had left him weak and tired, in a bad condition to deal with any hostilities.

"We are the Jensaarai, we were exiled from the Jedi Order over twenty years ago. Your leader the great Tyris saw through the lies of the Jedi and set out on a quest to discover the truth of the force. He was triumphant but punished for his knowledge which dared to challenge the Jedi doctrine so we his followers have stayed in hiding here until this very day. Many Jedi have come to eliminate us but none have succeeded. Now _you_ bring us news that Jedi are dead and the Sith rule that galaxy."

She stared intently back at him with dark sparking eyes and for an instant he felt captivated by her presence- the presence that had discovered him the night before.

"The Sith – started the Great Jedi Purge and destroyed the Jedi order over twenty years ago, after the Clone Wars," said Luke as he tried to keep the thoughts of Ben and Yoda out of his mind.

"Treacherous Jedi are all but gone?" demanded the Grand Master.

"Yes,"

"Yet you stand before us with that lightsabre,"

"I was given this by a Jedi who went into hiding on my planet but the Sith hunted him down and killed him," stated Luke blandly.

"Tell us more about the Sith,"

"There are two of them – The Emperor and Darth Vader, they rule the Empire which spans most of the know galaxy…the Empire is-can be quite tyrannical."

"I see you disapprove," she said simply and there was another burst of noise from the other occupants as they argued amongst themselves but their words were blurred by the acoustics of the chamber.

"I am part of the Rebellion against the Empire,"

"You dislike the Sith, it is a personal dislike, a hatred even and yet I sense that there is but a fine line between love and hate for you."

Astonished that she had nearly unearthed his deeply guard secret so easy, Luke tried to erect his mental barriers again but his fear and anxiety stopped from achieving a state of calm.

"Darth Vader murdered my father," Luke blurted out before he could think of anything else to say. Perhaps he admitted his true parentage they might have been more inviting but he could not bring himself to say it out loud even to group of strangers.

"He was a Jedi," it was not question.

"Yes," said Luke, hoping that they had decency to realize that he was _not_ a Jedi and never seen the old Jedi Order.

"And now Vader seeks you – yes, I can sense your fear. He is here now; he is the other presence I felt. We sensed you the moment you landed on this planet," the Grand Master said as though she was clarifying a simple concept. "Your presence burns in force like a supernova and so does Darth Vader's and yet yours is filled with corruption."

"Corruption," said Luke,

"The Jedi have twisted your mind with their lies, you have rejected the truth of the force."

"What truth? You don't honest think the Sith are good people, do you?" Furious voice rose above him but the Grand Master merely looked…amused.

"And why should we not?"

"They kill force-sensitives; they hunt down babies and kill them. They won't tolerate you. Your enemies the Jedi may be gone but the Sith are even worse!" cried Luke hoping to make them see the folly of their beliefs. "You will never be accepted by the Empire."

"I believe the Sith are open to many propositions particularly if we provide them with what they want most," replied the Grand Master coolly and Luke detected a shift in the mood of the room. Anger had given way to malicious delight.

Then realisation dawned on him like a hard blow.

"No, you can't give me to Darth Vader. He will just grab me and kill you!" yelled Luke desperately. "He will see you as threat – he will -,"

"Ah, but young Jedi, we have already made a deal with him…he will be here very soon." Malevolent laughter echoed across the chamber.

"No, you don't _understand_, Vader doesn't keep any deals. He's got no sense of decency – he's _evil,_ he's -,"

Suddenly the cold dark, familiar presence of his father mind reached out to him and ensnared him in its grip. Standing behind him in the door way was Darth Vader and an entire squad of stormtroopers.

"What am I, young one?" demanded the low rumbling voice that had haunted his nightmares for so long.

"-good at making dramatic entrances," finished Luke despairingly.

* * *

AN: (The Jensaarai are canon characters who do actually live on Susevfi. Desertwind likewise is also a "real" person) Yeah, Luke is back with his Daddy! More bonding to come! **Please review.**


	21. Delusions

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 20. Delusions

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

**Dedicated to: Everyone who actually bothers to read my stories after so long!**

* * *

**AN: This chapter was posted on my homepage before I destroyed the whole thing so I'll stick it up here for anyone who hasn't read it. The really update is actually the next chapter. **

* * *

"I don't believe it!"

Dawn had come and gone but with no sign of any imminent threat the Rebel camp had continued to slumber well into the day. It was only when the sun was already half way to its ultimate destination that the camp dismantled and only then did everyone noticed Luke Skywalker had disappeared, without R2.

He had thoughtfully left them an emotional and garbled message about how he was a danger to the team because Darth Vader had an unhealthy obsession with him, excreta, excreta. They had all heard it before and Luke's 'heroic' departure was greeted with much irritation. One could only pull the hero act so far before people started to find the illogical decisions exasperating.

"We'll have to get him back, he's left enough tracks for a bantha to follow," said Lando flatly. He was too worn out from a bad night's sleep to be bother with his usual flamboyant image. Chewie roared in agreement and helpfully volunteered to track the boy, who according to him, had also left a scent trail strong enough to choke a bantha.

"I think Chewie should be able to find Luke, and bring him back to us even if we keep going," reasoned Lando, "He's fast and Luke's bound to have collapsed from exhaustion at some point. He's probably dreaming about his Jedi Daddy right now."

To their right, a small commotion broke out as Wes Janson spilt half his hot tea onto Wedge's lap but Princess Leia ignored it with dignity.

"I thought – well it's all really confusing because the last thing he said to me was how he thought Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader…he just kept repeating '_it all fits'_."

"Maybe he just wanted to meet the imposter guy in private, you know sort of a father-son bonding moment," suggested Lando sarcastically.

"No, Lando, Luke doesn't believe that this guy is really Anakin Skywalker. If anything…" A really horrible thought crept into Leia's mind, "he's gone to find Darth Vader."

There was another yelp of pain as Janson scrambled to his feet and up ended Wedge's flagon all over his hands.

"Princess, I think I agree with you," said Janson tentatively.

"Joke on, Janson," spat Wedge angrily as he cradled his injured hand, "the Princess is being serious."

"_No_, I'm being serious too. If Luke thinks Anakin and Vader are the same person and he thinks that Vader's on this planet, do you really think he could resist?"

"Luke would never willingly give himself up to Vader, not for such selfish reasons," protested Wedge defensively.

"Maybe, he didn't," muttered Lando "maybe he wanted to give himself in so Vader would leave us alone."

Chewie roar in disagreement as he believed Luke would not be able to find a suitable watering hole on his own let alone Darth Vader.

"Even so, Vader can find Luke," explained Leia, "they have this strange connection in the force. Sometimes, I think Vader can locate Luke if he's close by."

Many people turned around looking distinctly unnerved by this revelation.

"It would explain why Luke was so eager to leave," continued Leia, "there really was a danger."

"Well, what's the point?" sighed Lando in exasperation, "we were meant to bring him back to base but we can't do that because he's a living, breathing homing beacon for the Dark Lord of the kriffing Sith and because he's run off somewhere to be a hero! If Vader really has those sorts of powers, Luke is probably already on an Imperial shuttle to the Dark Side."

"So what do we do?" asked Janson

"We find this Imposter and if he's a Jedi, we'll get him to rescue Luke," replied Lando grimly, "because we can't be much help to him now."

"_No_! We can't just leave Luke," protested Leia.

"Chewie, will go out to find him and bring him back if possible. If he's already in Vader's clutches, Chewie will be able to confirm it. Either way, I think this imposter is our best hope out of here."

"You're riding on a lot of 'ifs'," said Wedge suspiciously. He evidently didn't think much of Lando's leadership skills.

"I am not abandoning Luke," snapped Leia, her full fiery stubbornness reasserting itself, "I'm going with Chewie and anyone else who wishes may come too…in fact we should split into two teams, one to investigate the imposter and the other to find Luke. This way there are is less chance of capture and at least one team may be able to make it back to base if everything fails."

"We can keep in touch by our communications equipment, as far as I can tell, the Imperial do not seem to be monitoring our frequencies," suggested Johnson helpfully.

"Fine," muttered Lando reluctantly, "I don't like the idea of splitting up, but – frik,"

"Alright, I want six people with me,"

* * *

Luke was lead out of the complex with Darth Vader's hand clamped firmly around his upper arm and a dozen blasters trained on his back. There was no escape.

Vader's exchange with the Jensaarai had been short, he promised them freedom to practise their art, he said the Empire was open all practitioners of the true force; he said everything they wanted to hear. Luke was bundled off the side like a trophy and jabbed with a blaster whenever he tried to protest. _Well, not much of a jab as a light tap. The stormtroopers evidently knew Vader didn't want his goods damaged. _

Cautiously Luke reached out to feel Vader's emotions in the force. Horrid images of torture that must be waiting when they reached Vader's shuttle swirled in him mind. The last words that had ever been exchanged between them did not bode well for the future.

_**So, you are just like your mother…**_

_What about my mother?_ The elusive image of a beautiful woman with sad eyes still haunted him in his sleep but in the few days of freedom he had managed to enjoy at the Rebel base, Luke had been too preoccupied to think about her. Now he was back where he started,

_So much out of frying pan into the fire…at least Ameesa is safe and the rebel base might be safe…_

If Vader was eavesdropping on his thoughts, the Dark Lord had lost his previous annoying habit of a starting a telephatic conversation.

_I suppose he really is mad at me – I guess I'll be locked up into a high security cell from now on and tortured on a regular basis. Well at least my conscience will be clear…_

Tormented by his own depressing thoughts, Luke dragged his tired, aching limbs onwards towards the Imperial Shuttle and Vader's ultimate destination.

* * *

After what seemed like hours of walking in circles the sun had still not reached its highest peak. The day was turning out to be much warmer than Leia had expected and she was sweltering in her uniform. The other members of the team, Wedge, Wes, Chewie, the young rookie and Johnson the communications guy were likewise panting in exhaustion.

"I gotta give it to the captain," said Wedge admiringly, "he can really run when he wants to,"

"He's been running in blind circles and so have we," snapped Wes irritably, "I swear I saw that clump of grass half an hour ago."

"Grass clumps all look the same!"

"Yeah, so how do you know we're not going in circles?"

"Stop bickering, Chewie says he sees trees in the distance," commanded Leia as Chewie gestured enthusiastically for them to follow.

It didn't take very long to reach the small forest and the rare sight of shade improved everyone's spirits.

The dark forest floor was carpeted by the thick green leaves of the canopy above and a refreshing breeze fanned their hot sweaty faces. It seemed to be perfect place to take a break. However Chewie seemed more anxious than usual as the group rested at the edge of the forest.

The young rookie with his translation device was faithfully following the wookiee as he combed through the dense grass.

"Princess," cried the young recruit excitedly, "Chewbacca says the Luke wasn't alone!"

"What?" the four others jumped to their feet in alarm.

"He says, Luke lay down over there to sleep and another set of footprints came out of the forest and met him. Then they walked off together back into the woods,"

Chewie roared in confirmation and Leia felt the pit of her stomach drop from under her.

"What species?"

"Might be hominoid, wearing size 6 boots, approximately 1.6 metres tall," said the boy faithfully.

"He can tell all that from a bunch of crushed grass?" said Johnson in awe but Leia felt the tight band of fear choking her heart. Her feelings, her instincts were telling her that something dangerous had happened and something equally dangerous was going to happen.

"Maybe the commander met up with some nice natives that lived in the woods," suggested the young rookie innocently. "Maybe they even have food and water to offer us."

"I highly doubt that," muttered Leia "I -,"

Suddenly she felt something, like a sixth sense flaring to life, the sudden forceful realisation that there was something behind her but it was too late. Out of the shadows of the forest stepped several dark shapes clad in armour and carrying lightsabres.

* * *

They had been walking for what seemed like hours and Luke could no longer keep up with his captors. The sun was scorching his back and his throat almost ached from thirst. Still Darth Vader did not relent. Luke felt a sharp pain in his leg and he was suddenly overcome with dizziness. He was about to collapse…

_Stars, father, please slow down._

Then he felt it - a strange rippled in force before he lost all consciousness.

* * *

When Luke awoke, he was lying on his side on some sort of makeshift Imperial sleeping bag. Around him he vaguely sensed people scurrying about and the lingering smell of burning plastic.

Moving unsteadily to sit up, he was stopped by the butt end of a blaster.

"Don't move, you must lie down by the order of Lord Vader,"

Luke was about to say something rather rude but then decided that it was imprudent to upset his captors, particularly as their transport had been blown to pieces. All around him charred grass stalks and twisted shards of burnt metal littered the ground.

_Well,_ thought Luke, _now all I have to do is decide whether to rejoice or not._

A few metres away the Dark Lord of the Sith was inspecting the corpse of a recently felled stormtrooper; a rebel issue blaster lay near the body. As Darth Vader straightened from his crouch position he turned in Luke's direction and pointed a gloved finger at his son. It was clear gesture for him to lie back down.

_What happened?_ Asked Luke as he projected his thoughts to Vader but there was no reply. His father's presence was blank and muffled. Perhaps, a more emotional approached was needed to get some answers.

Tentatively Luke reached out to the vast darkness that he had come to associate with the Sith Lord.

_Father? Can you hear me?_

Several metres away his father stood very still and then abruptly turned away.

_Father?_

There was no response and Luke couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"Collect what you can from the wreckage and dispose of the bodies," commander Vader, "we shall set up camp using the remains of the shuttle for cover."

What remained of the large Imperial shuttle could still be utilised as an effective shelter, even if parts of the wreckage were hanging by very precarious wires.

The remnants of the 501st squadron hurried to obey.

Soon the wreckage had been stripped of its loose parts. Half the interior looked be intacted and with the swift work of the stormtroopers a new port side was soldered on so that the shuttle now looked as if it had only been badly dented and charred. By mid afternoon a new hatch, which had replaced the boarding ramp as the main entrance, was in place and the squadron was moving what was left of Vader's possessions into the safety of the shuttle.

Apparently the 501st thought Luke also fell under the category of Vader's Possessions but none of them was quite willing to be responsible for transporting _him_.

His guard had been so diligent in following Darth Vader's orders that Luke had not even been allowed to sit up during the last few hours and he was now feeling very restless. When the Dark Lord finally emerged from his repair work on the shuttled, the stormtrooper saluted smartly and proceeded to describe every one of Luke's failed attempted to sit up right with sickening enthusiasm.

"Good work Commander," rumbled Vader, "I will take it from here,"

A knot of apprehension formed in Luke's stomach as he lay looking up at the towering black figure. What exactly did his father have in store for him?

The stormtrooper hastily departed and Luke seized the chance to pull himself to his feet, only to feel a sheering pain shoot through his ankle.

"You have broken your ankle," stated Vader simply. "Unfortunately our medical supplies were destroyed by your Rebel companions."

Leaning heavily on one leg, Luke felt the initial pain ebb away, as well as all his plans of escape.

"Um, can I get a splint or something? To support my ankle?

Vader simply stared at him through his impassionate black mask. After a moment of uncomfortable silence Vader reached out to him and without warning levitated Luke into a horizontal position and floated him through the hatch.

The acrid smell of burning leather clung to every surface inside the dark shuttle. Dim blue light from the emergency power system gave the burnt and shredded seats an eerie look. Luke was gently lowered onto a set of relatively intact black seats; the furthest from the entrance. Compared to the ground outside, the well padded cushions felt blissfully soft against Luke's aching back.

The hatch closed automatically behind Vader, cutting off all the natural light and the Dark Lord moved forwards to loom over Luke's prone form.

"Sit up," rumbled Vader as he came so close that Luke could see the dust clinging to his clothes. The dark presence in the force seemed to grow stronger as it sensed Luke's fear and it reached out to smother him.

Wes had been right – his father was _royally pissed_.

Too frightened to disobey the order, Luke scrambled to up until he sat facing the Dark Lord, their feet only inches apart. Traitorous thoughts born of fear burst through his mental shields,

_Please, father don't –_

But that only seemed to fuel Vader's anger and the force around him vibrated with ferocious energy. Raging, turbulent emotions, barely contained behind the Dark Lord's mental shields, waited to spew forth and wreak destruction.

_Father, I didn't mean –_

_But he had meant to escape, had plotted to run away from the moment he heard the fateful revelation. Even in the beginning when he had believed the truth, he wanted to run away from his heritage. _

Suddenly he felt Vader bearing down on him; one dark gloved hand grabbed his chin and forced him to look up into the blank eye sockets of Vader's mask.

"I do not give second chances," snarled Vader as the grip on Luke's chin tightened to the point of pain. The feelings of hate, anger and betrayal ripped through the force like thunder.

Unable to even move his jaw to form words, Luke sat paralysed as the darkness assaulted his mind.

"You betrayed me!" Suddenly he felt the grip on his chin tighten even further and bolts of pain shot through his skin as Vader dug his mechanical fingers into his jaw.

_No, father, please! _

Abruptly Luke felt the air freeze in his lungs and the crushing pain in his throat told him exactly what was happening. Black spots started to dance before him eyes…

_His father was going to kill him, his father was going to choke him to death right here,_

His vision blurred and twisted, his lungs burned with pain…

Then as swiftly was the pain had come, it was gone. Air rushed back into his crushed lungs and Luke felt his chest heaving in its wake. His feelings of relief were uncontrollable and suddenly he was panting and sobbing. Tears gushed down his cheeks even as he fought to contain them. Feebly he tried to turn his face away, to prevent Vader from exploiting his moment of weakness but the dark presence was shifting and changing into something less…aggressive.

"But you are still my son,"

Soft leather clad fingers reached out to caress Luke's cheek and wipe away his tears.

"I will not harm you,"

Luke leaned into the tender touches, hopelessly confused but reaching out to the offer of affection and love.

"_Don't_ ever leave me again,"

The grip on his chin tightened and Vader leaned down until their faces nearly torched.

"Never leave me again, or I will hunt you down and I will never be so merciful again,"

"Yes, father,"

Mesmerized, terrified, confused, desperate and yearning for his father's touch Luke could only agree.

A gentle hand was stroked his hair…

"Good boy,"

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**AN:** Logically after 30 something years of enduring the Emperor's emotional manipulation, I reason that Vader could be just as good, particularly when it comes to controlling his son.

**Please review!**


	22. Returning

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 21. Returning

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

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**AN: I have been very busy this last year and basically I lost all the will to write anything! I know it's terrible but I'm back to stay and hopefully I can get my website back up and running. I will be posting everything I had on my homepage on anyway so if anyone liked the stuff you can now see it here.**

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_Lightsabres,_ Wedge had seen enough lightsabres to last him a lifetime but fate did not agree. Three blue beams of light were currently hovering inches from his nose and generating a menacing buzz.

On the other, and infinitely better, end of the laser beams stood three humans clad in simple brown robes. The leader step forwards and Wedge shrank back to save his nose from being pulverized.

"Why are you here?" the tall human male demanded in a guttural voice.

"We are looking for a member of our team who became lost and -,"

"I _mean_ what are you doing on Susevfi?"

Wedge hesitated at the aggressive tone but found the courage to plough on with his pre-rehearsed explanation.

"We are a charted survey team working for SKE enterprises. According to our logs this planet is uninhabited and our company has been given the right to survey the entire system in order to produce a more detailed map for future public use."

"You lie," snarled the leader and he advanced another step towards them.

"We are not," protested Wedge rather weakly

"We can sense your fear," hissed the leader, his dark face twisted with anger. "We can see in the force that you are liars!"

Wedge turned to look at Leia for direction, she looked as terrified as he felt, but the princess managed a graceful tilt of her to signal her consent.

"Alright, we're part of the Rebel alliance," said Wedge evenly and search desperately for a sign of recognition or sympathy in their eyes.

The trio relaxed slightly, though their lightsabres were still pointing in his direction. For several seconds nobody dared to move as they studied each member of the small team as if committing their faces to memory.

"We have a policy of neutrality in this Galatic civil war," said the leader solemnly, "though we do not wish to upset our relations with you -," he paused slightly and looked at Wedge with an unreadable expression. Wedge held his breath.

"- we must ask you to leave this planet as soon as possible. Your presence has already bought the Empire to our door. You are not welcome. We have no resources of value to you."

Around him Wedge heard the Red team's collective sigh of relief. His heart was still hammering away in his chest and his tongue felt like sandpaper but he forced himself to relax his stance.

"We understand -," he was at a loss of how to address the tall dark man standing in front of him.

"That is good," stated the leader flatly, "now leave."

Wedge knew that the Alliance would not be making any new friends today but the existence of a Jedi sect in a long forgotten part of the galaxy was something that his curiosity would not allow him to overlook.

"The Empire will persecute you," he said hoping not to sound too desperate, "I don't know if you're Jedi or not but the Empire don't care. They want to wipe out all force users! The Galactic Alliance can offer you -,"

"Enough!" the leader sounded truly angry and a little afraid, "be gone with you or we shall have to eliminate your presence!"

"Wedge," Leia said softly, "I think we need to leave now,"

"Make sure you by pass the Imperials on your way out," said one of the two younger humans, "they are located five kilometres east of your landing position."

Wedge wanted to ask how they had been monitoring the situation and if the Imperial had dispensed any reinforcements but the closed expressions on their faces told him that his hostile welcome was over. The small troop of rebels hastily formed a defensive formation and started to head back into the woods with half the team pacing backwards to guard their retreat.

However Wedge was not satisfied and years of surviving on his wits had taught him never to miss an opportunity when it presented itself.

Stepping out of line and back towards the leader of the trio he asked one final question,

"You wanted to know exactly why we're here. We're here to find Anakin Skywalker. He's here, isn't he?"

The leader looked as if he was contemplating whether to answer the question and then relented.

"I have only heard of Anakin Skywalker. He has never set foot on this planet."

Wedge felt a sudden burst of despair rushing through him as if _he_ was the one on a quest to find his father.

"But we received a message from this planet from Anakin Skywalker!"

Behind him, he was acutely aware of a half a dozen set of eyes boring into his back, willing him to just leave, but he couldn't. Luke deserved to know the truth and Wedge did believe half of the garbled rumours that had been circulating about Luke's decisiveness. Luke _worshiped _Anakin and there was no way in the nine hells of Corellia that he would believe Darth Vader was his father.

Luke deserved to finally find out what happened to his father and even if it meant facing the awful truth that his father was indeed dead, he could at least put this chapter of his life behind him.

"Wedge, don't do this now," said Wes desperately, "it's not worth it. They don't know anything about it."

"Listen, Anakin's son is looking for him. He's never seen his father in his life, if you know _anything_ about Anakin please tell us so Luke can at least find some closure,"

The leader did not seem moved at all but the younger members looked as if they had sensed Wedge's desperation.

"We only heard of his name through Desertwind," said the leader enigmatically, "he was Desertwind's partner in the Jedi Order. When Desertwind left, he was going to rendezvous with Skywalker and his padawan at Sullust. We helped to smuggle him off planet during the confusion that followed the death of our leader Nikkos. That was over twenty years ago."

"So you really have no idea where Anakin is?" said Wedge feeling defeated.

"I can guarantee that the Skywalker of which you speak is not on this planet. I would have detected his presence. The communication must be false."

"Thank you," said Wedge sincerely, "I wish Luke had been here to talk to you."

The youngest member of the group looked suddenly torn between speaking and keeping silent but the words burst out of his mouth.

"Your friend's with Darth Vader but they can't get off the planet because their ship is wreck!"

The leader only looked vaguely annoyed at the outburst and Wedge knew that he had been planning to tell them from the beginning.

Behind him, there was a collective gasp of a horror.

"I suggest you plan before you act," said the leader calmly, "and you must leave now."

Without another word Wedge headed back to the group.

* * *

The stormtroopers bought Luke a bowl of gruel from the cooking pot steaming outside. It looked to be a composite of every unsavoury piece of junk that had accidently fallen in, whilst the open pot had been boiling. His first thought was: _trust the wretched Imperials to give me the worst food_.

The luxury he had been exposed to on the Executor had given him a nasty sense of entitlement, which Luke found highly disturbing.

Without much argument he dug into the thin brown sludge with dubiously looking white bits bobbing gruesomely on the surface. To his surprise it actually tasted quite nice, unlike the bland, slightly acidic gruel that the Alliance served when they were on half rations.

Darth Vader was seated at a computer terminal with a mechanical kit, trying to salvage the holonet connector. Somehow the sight of the Dark Lord of the Sith tampering with a broken terminal seemed very amusing. Luke could almost imagine him hunched over a holoprojector in a generic family home, cursing his misfortune and assuring his wife he didn't need to read the manual.

_His wife, Luke's mother_. A pang of emptiness filled him and Luke almost wanted to brave the question to his father, even if it meant facing his wrath. Instead, he decided to make some light conversation. Perhaps he had truly gone mad in the last few weeks but Luke knew now that somewhere buried under the dark armour was Anakin Skywalker, the man whose amazing adventures he had dreamed about; the hero with no fear, and a very handsome face.

"I'm good at fixing things too you know," muttered Luke tentatively, "I can fix anything."

Darth Vader paused but did not turn to look at him.

"Aunt Beru once said that you were good at fixing things too,"

"I am glad you have finally accepted the truth," rumbled Vader.

_His mind felt guarded and his presence seemed so cold, not angry just a freezing painful numbness._

"Well, it was Leia who helped me reach that conclusion," muttered Luke.

"Perhaps I need to thank the Princess, _personally_,"

"Um, I don't think she would appreciate that," said Luke nervously putting his empty bowl aside. "So how is the repair work coming along?"

"I am in no mood for inconsequential small talk,"

"I just -," Luke paused uncertainly and then lay back down on the couch he had been assigned.

Outside he heard the distinctive tramp of stormtroopers stomping around in their clumsy armour.

* * *

Leia, Wedge, Wes and several other equally haggled members of their team trudged warily through the high grass towards the rendezvous point with Lando's team several kilometres away from the Imperial shuttle. A brief description of the lightsabre wielding force users had been enough to convince Lando that they needed, according to his colourful language, "to get the bantha's arse out of here".

No one wanted to admit that rescuing Luke from under Vader's nose was about as likely as finding Anakin Skywalker at this point, even if the Imperials had just sustained heavy losses.

As Lando's stout frame come into view over the swaying tips of yellowing grass, Leia couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He waved stoically at them, his expression set into a deep frown.

"What are we going to do?" asked Leia as soon as she was within hearing distance.

"Do?" snapped Lando derisively, "Your Highness there is nothing we can do! Vader has Luke and I don't care if he's got no shuttle or if he's butt naked but we can't risk fighting him with so few men."

"What exactly happened?" demanded Wedge as he sat down wearily.

"Our pilots discovered just how close the Imperial shuttle had landed. Their prelim scans of the area detected our vessel. They – they strapped in a couple of thermal detonators and took out the shuttle."

"They're … dead?" asked Leia tentatively

"Yeah, sure as the Corellian Hells are," muttered Lando sadly. "It stopped the Imperials from coming to our vessel – it's still intact. Darth Vader and most of his troops were off catching Luke so they survived the blast but their ship didn't."

"And now what?" asked Wes nervously looking from Leia to Lando as if he anticipated a full blown fight to break out any minute.

"We've _got_ to leave now before -,"

"Before _what?_" hissed Leia, "before you get your cowardly behind into more trouble?"

"Leia, you've got to be reasonable, there is not chance that we can successfully rescue Luke now that Vader has him. You of all people know exactly what that _thing_ can do! Blaster fire doesn't even hurt him!"

There was a rippled of disquieting murmurs amongst the gathered soldiers.

"And? Shall we just abandon Luke to his fate?" snapped Leia angrily. Her eyes flashed with suppressed anger but Wedge could see a hint of fear as well; fear that she was on the losing side of this argument.

"Leia, we _can't do anything_ right now!" said Lando in exasperation. "Are you going to sacrifice all our lives for Luke? Would he want you to?"

A ringing silence descended on the small gathering as everyone held their breaths in anticipation.

Wedge knew immediately that Lando had found Leia's weak point. The greater good demanded that they head back to base and Leia would have the heart to ask force anyone to risk their lives for Luke.

"Leia, you know he's right…" said Wes twisting his hands in an unconscious gesture of discomfort. "We'll get back up and then …"

"You can leave," said Leia quietly, the fire never leaving her eyes, "I'll stay here and rescue Luke."

Someone in the crowd gasped audibly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Leia," said Lando as he reached out to grip her arm, "you'll get caught and stars knows what might happen to you!"

"Let go of me!"

"Leia if you don't act reasonably I shall be forced to restrain you!" cried Lando as he dodge her flaying fists with surprising agility.

"I _will _not-,"

"Princess, please!"

There was a muffled thud as Leia's knee collided with Lando's stomach and he fell to the ground winded.

Wedge knew that it was time to step in before things escalated beyond control.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he muttered as he lunged forwards and gripped both of Leia's hands behind her back.

* * *

Nightfall descended on the grassy plains like the curtain on a performance. Within minutes the stars shone brightly like a thousand precious gems studded in an underground mine and the only reminder of the sun's existence was a thin band of light blue on the horizon that was steadily melting into the black sky.

Luke stepped out into the cool night air, grateful that he was finally allowed out of the cramped interior of the shuttle. His enjoyment was cut short as he felt a heavy gloved hand clamp down on his shoulder.

"I'm not going to escape with ten blasters pointed at me," he muttered, "I'm not that good."

Vader did not reply but laid another hand on his other shoulder. Luke's proximity to the Dark lord standing only inches behind him causes a rippled of sensation to course down his spine. He couldn't tell just what he was feeling but part of him knew it was much more than just simple fear.

With surprising speed, Vader pulled Luke against his chest before he had time to react. Caught between the solid bulk of the Dark Lord and his oppressive grip, Luke gave up any thoughts of struggle. It was better to conserve his energy and pick a more appropriate time to fight. His leg was still too weak to support his weight even if he did managed to get away from Vader's vice like grip.

"Imperial reinforcements have arrived," rumbled Vader as tilted his mask to the night sky. Luke squinted in the general direction and saw a three blinking light swooping down on their destination.

"Oh, jolly!" he muttered sarcastically, "I'm right back to where I started."

"Your destiny is unavoidable," stated Vader gravely as he continued to press Luke's thin body against his own.

Luke wanted to say what he had believed for so long, _I'm nothing like you! I'm a Jedi…_ but his mouth refused to form the words because right now he wasn't sure that they were true.

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**AN: Please review another chapter is in the works right now.**


	23. Commencement

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 22. Commencement

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

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**AN: Thank you for all your helpful reviews - I've just realised that I turned Private Messaging off, but it's now turned on again so feel free to drop me a line!**

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The young man, barely out of his teens, looked far paler than Doctor Lassion remembered. Just a few days ago he had been speaking to the brooding youth about his life and dreams, now the boy was lying in coma on his medical bed. Clear plastic tubes and surgical tape criss-crossed his deathly white chest and the ventilation mask covered his delicate, childlike features.

Staring down at his patient with a mixture of regret and curiosity, Doctor Lassion found his mind wandering to his own children. The image his youngest daughter lying emancipated on the operating table still haunted him to this day. Amelia had recovered but the experience left a scar on her father psyche forever. Now, as he stood beside another young life hanging by a thread, Doctor Lassion couldn't help wondering if Darth Vader was in even more pain than his son.

* * *

Admiral Piett bowed respectfully as Darth Vader stalked onto the bridge of the Executor. General Veers looked up from his terrain analysis and merely nodded respectfully from his seated position. Lord Vader's presence on the bridge was becoming so common that the pit crew continued their work with only a minimal amount of fearful glances.

"My Lord, the Death Squadron is ready to deploy once we have co-ordinates of the rebel base."

Darth Vader stared down at the Admiral and nodded in approval.

"The co-ordinates will be delivered, make sure everything goes according to plan, Admiral."

"Of course, my Lord," replied Piett smoothly.

"General Veers," rumbled Vader, "your troopers are ready for deployment." It was a simple statement of fact.

"Yes, My Lord,"

"Good,"

Darth Vader smiled behind his mask and felt the scarred tissue of his face scream in protest. Pain shot through his skin but he embraced it willingly. _Finally, all was going to plan_.

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Simulated dusk was the time when Darth Vader came to visit Doctor Laisson's patient. As the day shift gave way to the night shift and the sleep cycle program slowly but surely geared up for another eight hours of control, Lord Vader would arrive and stand beside his son's prone body. On the first day, he merely stayed there, staring down at his son, the expressionless mask concealing all his emotion. On the second day, he had paused ever so slightly and then carefully took hold of his son's hand, enveloping it in his black gloves.

Three days after Luke Skywalker had arrived at the medical bay, Doctor Laisson finally saw signs of brain electrical activity. It was during Lord Vader's customary visit and the Doctor was quite astonished to see an increase in alpha brain waves as the Dark Lord bend down to touch his son's forehead.

"My Lord, he is waking!" exclaimed the Doctor, his shocked voice breaking the silence of the private medical room.

Darth Vader did not seem at all surprised but continued to caress his son's face, carefully avoiding the ventilation mask.

"His EEG is patterned for REM sleep," continued the doctor as he read the oscillating lines on his datapad. "I do believe he is coming out of the coma!"

"Inform me when he wakes, doctor," ordered Darth Vader as he pulled away from the boy's bedside. "His injuries will entail some memory loss; I need to be on hand to assess the damage."

"Of course, my Lord," replied Doctor Laisson and he watched the retreating figure of the Dark Lord with concealed curiosity. He had not reported any specific type of brain damage; it was strange how Darth Vader seemed to just _know_ things.

For the first time in his life Doctor Laisson found himself dialling the Dark Lord's personal comlink number. Five hours into the sleep cycle his patient was showing signs of waking and Doctor Laisson knew it was time to disturb the Darth Vader.

"I will be there shortly," rumbled Darth Vader's voice, which managed to sound every bit as menacing over the comlink.

Doctor Laisson felt uncharacteristically tense, as he watched his patient stirring. Suddenly he had an overwhelming urge to send the boy back to sleep. A strange subconscious part of him thought_ I have a bad feeling about this. _

As if on cue, Darth Vader strolled through the doors of the medical bay and took up position beside the boy's bed. A chair had been provided by a thoughtful droid who had logically concluded that this was going to be "one long night". Surprising the Dark Lord made use of the chair and stretched out his hands to once again clasp Luke's.

The boy was stirring more frequently now, a jumble of sounds escaped from his mouth as if he was having a confusing dream.

"Luke, wake up," said Darth Vader leaning over the boy's writhing body,

With one final moan, the boy's eye fluttered open and he gasped in shock.

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* * *

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On the other side of the galaxy, Leia Organa also gasped in shock as the committee hearing concluded.

"Wedge Antilles, we commend you for rational thinking under pressure," said Mon Mothma graciously as the other members of the war council nodded in approval.

"With all due respect, Mon Mothma, I would like to know what we are going to do about rescuing Luke. The Imperial reinforcements arrived just as we were taking off. We managed to calculate a preliminary hyperspace trajectory -,"

He was cut off with a wave of General Madine's hand.

"We don't have the resources to engage the Imperials at this moment in time," he said solemnly. "As much as I value Commander Skywalker, it _was_ his fault for flying into that trap."

"Yes but we cannot just leave him to rot!" cried Wedge, all composure gone.

"Commander Antilles, we at the present moment cannot do anything to help Commander Skywalker. Would he wish for us to commit personnel and resources to a mission with such low odds of success?" asked Mon Mothma in her most reasonable tone.

"I know he wouldn't want us to but think about it! Luke's a Jedi, the longer Darth Vader has to sink his – his _claws_ into Luke the closer he will come to the Dark Side!"

"Are you supporting what Princess Leia has told us?" asked Admiral Ackbar curiously as his left eye swivelled to fixate on Wedge.

"Yes, I am! The longer Luke is _exposed_ to the Dark Side, the less rational he will become. He might – I think the phrase is – _fall_."

"You mean "become a Sith"?" asked Rieekan.

"Yes, Vader's great at manipulating minds – we all know that. Luke can't hold out indefinitely!"

After a moment of tense silence Mon Mothma signed,

"I am afraid we can only hope Luke has the strength of character to hold out, until we can muster enough resources for a rescue operation."

* * *

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-

-

In the private medical bay, the lights had been artificially dimmed as to not dazzle the patient's eyes. Bright blue orbs stared back in confusion at the blank black mask before him but the boy made no move to retrieve his hand. Pale pink lips moved silently as if he was trying for form long forgotten words but Lord Vader's respirator was the only sound breaking the dull silence.

_Confusion_, noted Doctor Laisson, _disorientation, no signs of recognition. _His initial tentative diagnosis of amnesia might turn out to be correct but the more pressing issue was to assess whether any other mental functions had been damaged.

He had no idea what or even whom had caused the boy to have such extensive brain trauma. In his line of work, a doctor saw at least one patient a day with head injuries but no one had ever come to him with nothing but extensive brain injury. There was usually a collapsed skull, a bloody gash or at least a bruise but Luke's skin was pristine white like a porcelain ornament.

He waited patiently for his patient to make the first move; it would give him a sense of control – an illusion of power.

The boy's eyes darted furtively around the room, taking in the medical equipment, the coffee table, the vase of white lilies and the door. His bright blue eyes, filled with fear and confusion, rested squarely on the door, as if he was already looking for a means of escape.

Finally, he looked back at Darth Vader and the doctor.

"Where -," his voice came out as a soft whisper, "am I?"

"Do you remember anything?" asked Vader, his deep baritone voice slicing through the quite hum of medical machinery.

At first the boy looked shocked but he made no move to escape. Tentatively he looked back at the Dark Lord,

"No," he whispered as if he was afraid to be heard.

"Do you remember your name?" asked Doctor Laisson gently.

There was a much longer pause as Luke frowned in concentration, like a child sitting a particularly taxing exam.

"No," this time he sounded almost defeated.

"Your name is Luke, I am your father," stated Vader as he placed a hand onto the boy's chest. Luke did not protest that the contact nor did he seem particularly surprised by the announcement.

_He's lost semantic memory_, thought Doctor Laisson, _he doesn't recognise Darth Vader in any context. I wonder how many other facts he has forgotten? He does seem capable of speak but his vocabulary may be affect, his mathematics skills, basic knowledge…_

"I'm Luke, you're my father," repeated the boy, his eyes fixated on Vader's blank mask without any hint of curiosity or discomfort. "Who are you?" he turned to look at the doctor standing on the other side of his bed, "are you my doctor?"

_Well, at least he knows what a doctor is…_

"Yes, I'm Doctor Laisson and I've been looking after you these few days, while you were in a coma."

"How did I get into a coma?" asked Luke quickly, his eyes lighting up with curiosity as he eager shifted towards the doctor.

Darth Vader gripped Luke's shoulder to stop him from rolling away,

"Son, you must not over exert yourself,"

The boy turned to look petulantly at his father,

"I'm fine," he insisted, "I feel perfect. I just want to know what happened to me."

_His stubbornness is intact – no personality changes_, thought Doctor Laisson, his medical mindset automatically coming to conclusions.

Darth Vader was not about to brushed off by a child, even his own son. He reached out and gently pushed the boy back into a prone position.

"You must rest," rumbled the Dark Lord in a tone that left no room for argument. A hint of fear entered Luke's expression as he shifted uncomfortably under the sheets.

"I'm sorry," whispered the boy,

"You are forgiven," said Vader simply, "now Doctor Laisson needs to evaluated your physical condition."

Taking it as cue, Doctor Laisson produced the small rubber hammer from coat pocket.

"Don't worry, Luke I'm just testing your reflexes. This won't hurt at all."

For the next five minutes he proceeded in silence as a compliant Luke allowed him to poke and prod. There was no nerve damage, no missing or exaggerated reflexes; physically he was fine.

"You seem to be in good working order," said Doctor Laisson attempting to sound cheerful but somehow failing miserably.

"Very well, doctor, leave us," ordered Darth Vader.

A twinge of unease settled in Doctor Laisson's stomach. He was one of a select few who ever made it into Lord Vader's inner circle and over the years he had learnt to trust his superior. Lord Vader as a demanding taskmaster but scrupulously fair and he abided by his own moral code. There had never been any doubt in Doctor Laisson's mind that Lord Vader was completely human under the grotesque mask but today he felt instinctively that something was amiss. His subconscious was telling him not the leave the boy alone but there was nothing he could do about it.

With a polite nod, Doctor Laisson retreated to his office and started to brood.

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**AN: Please review - there will be plenty of Luke/Vader bonding in the next chapter for all you fans out there!**


	24. Continuum

**Title:** The Illusionist

**Chapter:** 23. Continuum

**Keywords:** Luke Skywalker, Vader, father, son, Lando, Chewie.

**Author:** Wellingtonboots

**Archive:** Slytherin Serpent

**Summary:** Post-ESB. Traumatized and in denial, Luke is unwittingly thrown into a dark underworld of sinister intrigue and brutal murder, where only his father can save him. (Xizor, Inquisitors and Boba Fett)

**Disclaimer: **Everything apart from Kay, Ronin and Doctor Lassion belongs to Lucas Films. All characters described, other than original ones, have been researched to conform to canon where possible.

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**AN: I realise that the last chapter confused a lot of reader but all will be explained now! Thank you for everyone who reviewed - it really keeps me going!**

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_The man sitting beside his bed was his father, the nice doctor who visited at all hours of the day was Doctor Laisson, and the shiny silver droid was OB1_.

This was all Luke could anchor his life to right now. Before waking in the dim hospital room yesterday night, his life did not exist. It was as if he had been reborn that moment when he opened his eyes and stared into his father's mask. His old life – whatever it may have been – had been wiped from his memory and out of existence.

Amnesia, the doctor had called it, amnesia due to extensive brain trauma. It sounded much worse than Luke felt. He knew the doctor and his father were anxious to provide a sense of security. They were concerned that he would be afraid, terrified, that there was a gaping black hole where his identity had been but he felt no fear or confusion because he knew: _he was Luke, the man sitting beside his bed was his father, the nice doctor who visited at all hours of the day was Doctor Laisson, and the shiny silver droid was OB1._

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* * *

_

"I wish Han was here," whisper Leia hoarsely as she stared out into the vast expanse of space that separated her from her loved ones. It was no often that she voiced her loneliness and fear but there was only Wedge and Lando in the rec-room.

"Princess, I'm sorry," said Lando softly.

"Don't be," she whispered as she pressed her hand against the glass, "I believe in Han and Luke. I believe that they will pull through."

Wedge did not look as if he shared her conviction. He stood to her left leaning against the cold transparisteel, grinding his teeth with suppressed rage.

"We need to give it time," muttered Lando as he sat with his head drooped on one of the faded grey armchairs. "We need to reorganise, gather intelligence, plot carefully,"

"I know," said Wedge, forcing himself to exhale, "I just hope there will be something left for us to rescue."

* * *

His father pushed his unruly locks out of his eyes and Luke stared back at him. Across their bond, he could feel his father's satisfaction.

"Are you happy?" he asked simply,

"I am very happy, my son," rumbled Vader in reply and Luke wondered vaguely why his father wore a life support suit. A hazy sense of normalcy was the only thing he could conjure up, it _felt_ right that his father looked the way he did.

"Why?" asked Luke curiously, perhaps his father had a more exciting day than he did.

"You are alive and with me," replied his father.

"Have we ever been apart?" asked Luke curiously, his wide blue eyes staring intently into the blank eye sockets of his father's mask.

"For a short time only," said his father taking his hand. He watched in awe as his small palm was engulfed in black leather.

"Why do you wear that suit?" Luke asked his voice barely a whisper. In the silences that dominated his life ever since he could remember, even the quietest of sounds was enhanced.

"I was badly injured a long time ago. It is a life-support system," said Darth Vader frankly but Luke thought he could detect a slight feeling of uneasy emanating from his father's mind.

"How?" he asked, eyes widening even further with curiosity.

"I do not wish to talk about it,"

His father sounded strained all of a sudden and Luke made a mental note to leave the subject alone.

"Tell me about my life – before…" he requested softly. The doctor, though patient and kind, never had time to speak to him about who he had been; he always had another patient to see. There were a thousand questions buzzing around his mind, what was his favourite food? His favourite holo show? Did he have friends? What school did he go to? Was he smart? Brave? Foolish?

How ironic it was to be asking someone else these questions…

"I am the supreme commander of the Imperial Navy," replied his father cautiously and Luke felt a gentle probing sensation in his mind, which he had come to associate with his father's curiosity.

_That sounds like a very important job_, thought Luke as he clasped his father's hand in anticipation but something tingled in the back of his consciousness, something about the word – _Imperial_. It conjured up images of stormtroopers and giant star destroyers but he could not remember, even when he strained his mind, what exactly he felt about it all.

"You are my son and will also have great responsibility one day."

Suddenly the thought of running the Navy sent a wave of dread through Luke's mind. That inexplicable, illogical gut instinct was telling him that this was _wrong_.

"I don't think I can do that," he muttered shyly, hoping that his father would not take this as a rejection.

"You have not yet recovered from the effects of the accident, your natural instincts will return in time," replied Darth Vader confidently.

"What exactly happened?" asked Luke tentatively, the doctor had been far too reluctant to tell him a single detail of the terrible accident that had landed him in his current state.

"The Rebel Alliance attempted to assassinate you," said Vader bluntly and from behind the reflective eye sockets, Luke felt his father's piercing gaze settle on his surprised features.

"The Rebellion," whispered Luke cautiously, testing if the sound of those words would draw out any memories of the terrible event but all he felt was the faint pressure of his father's mind pressing against his own. No images, traumatic or otherwise, appeared in his mind's eye and his gut instinct, which had been so active before, stayed silent.

"They attempted to kill you," repeated Vader gravely.

"Why?" asked Luke, suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to know what had motivated people to plot his demise.

"You are my son, the heir to the Empire. They wished to destroy you and the stability of the government."

"So they don't hate me personally," said Luke slowly. The idea of being reviled sent a shiver down his spine. A sense of genuine puzzlement spiked across their mental bond as his father contemplated a suitable answer.

"They do not know you _personally_," rumbled Vader.

"Yes, I suppose not," muttered Luke as his mind attempted to conjure up an image of the very people they had been discussing. A vague sense of brown and red floated through his mind followed by a more acute sensation of orange that morphed into an image of a grinning adolescent in a bright orange jumpsuit. Slowly the rest of his memory sketched in the background: an ice cavern filled with air speeders and X-wings. Surprised at the level of detail his memory provided, Luke thought for a moment that he might have actually been in that freezing ice cavern, listening to the gales howling outside as his breath fogged the air around him but that was impossible.

He was the son of Darth Vader, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy, he would have grown up on Coruscant and not on some heat forsaken ice planet with _Rebels._

"Do you remember anything?" inquired his father as he held Luke's small hand in his own.

"No and I'm quite glad, I suppose it was horrible?"

"You were seriously injured," replied Vader sounding particularly grave, "you need to rest now, Doctor Laisson has informed me that you will not be able to leave the medical bay for some time."

"I feel alright," sighed Luke, reaching out to his bed side table with his free hand. "I have enough strength to eat and pick things up,"

"You must rest," insisted his father sternly, as he reached on gloved hand to pull Luke's arm back under the coverlet. A sudden wave of sheer fatigue hit Luke like a physical blow and the last time his conscious mind registered as his father tucking the coverlet under his chin.

* * *

Darth Vader retired to his private quarters after dealing with a small proportion of his never ending responsibilities. The stark interior of his hyperbaric chamber allowed him to mediate effectively and as he joined the force this evening his felt a sense of deep satisfaction that the force was finally on his side. For far too long he had watched Luke Skywalker fecklessly twist his well plotted schemes into utter disasters but now his son was finally where he belonged.

Erasing the boy's memory was not an easy task but years of funding research into memory modification had produced an unexpected return. He had, in his weaker years, been desperate to erase the memory of his wife from his mind, hoping that if he could not see her face and hear her voice, his pain and guilt would disappear. As the years wore on and the team of scientist he employed encountered on set back after another, Vader had all but given up hope of ever finding a viable way of modifying his own memories. Through the long years of pain and turmoil he had eventually come to terms with Padme's demise and upon discovering his son, he felt unreasonably relieved that he had not wiped the memories of his beloved wife from his mind.

He had tried to convince the boy through kindness and coercion to join him willingly but Luke proved far too stubborn for his own good. Only by starting on a clean slate could Vader ensure his son's loyalty and devotion. The amnesia allowed him to make for the two decades of precious time that had been stole from him by Obi-wan Kenobi. Soon, they would rule the galaxy as father and son.

* * *

**AN: Many people would be wondering how this whole amnesia thing works - for now I'll will just say that Luke has only lost his episodic memory and not his semantic memory so he understands what a stormtrooper is but he doesn't remember any personal feelings/memories attached to it. This I have been informed happens very often in real life.**

**Please review! I love all your feedback!**


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